{"id":139,"date":"2024-09-12T14:56:25","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T14:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitall.network\/DigitAll\/about-us\/"},"modified":"2025-04-10T00:22:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T00:22:54","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitall.network\/DigitAll\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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About Us<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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DigitAll Empowerment: Towards the development of a seamless network of female<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Background and rationale:<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When women and girls have equal rights and access to resources and services and contributions to social and economic activities, societies thrive. Hence, women\u2019s exclusion from resources and facilities can significantly affect economic development. For instance, a lack of access to and use of the internet by women and girls can lead to a loss of USD15 trillion in low- and middle-income countries by the year 2025.<\/p>

Despite efforts by the Egyptian government and various development organisations, significant hurdles to women\u2019s equality remain, particularly in terms of gender gaps, often underpinned by negative stereotyping, workplace discrimination, and patriarchal power relationships. Egypt is ranked 146th out of 156 countries in women\u2019s economic participation and opportunity. Only 20% of Egypt\u2019s working-age women are participating in the economy, compared to 75% of men, and women\u2019s glaringly low participation in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) sector further demonstrates the gravity of the problem. In Egypt, although 50% of the graduates in STEM disciplines are women, their representation in the STEM workforce and their progress in relevant careers are substantially lower than those of their male counterparts.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Gender-based inequality within STEM is also a major concern even in the developed world. In the UK, 61% of those with zero digital skills are women5. Globally, women make up only 29% of the STEM workforce. Negative gender stereotypes and discrimination in education are at the root of many of the challenges women face in undertaking STEM-related degrees and the successful transition to employment in relevant sectors. Effective content, teaching practices, and attitudes, together with suitable and safe learning environments within the higher education sector, can enhance female students\u2019 capacity for and increase their participation and continuous professional development in STEM-related jobs. It is also argued that an ability to use the relevant digital tools can boost women\u2019s participation and leadership in the digital space so that they can become leaders and active agents of change.<\/p>

Hence, universities have more to do to support female students within STEM disciplines and beyond. It is argued that digital connectivity can bring together isolated and disadvantaged communities and enable them to support the collective growth and wellbeing. In the context of both the UK6 and Egypt7, knowledge and skills to harness digital connectivity, known as digital empowerment, can enable disadvantaged communities, such as women, to thrive. Due to the low number of women in STEM in Egypt, it is necessary that they are connected through digital platforms so that they can grow as a community. However, globally, 259 million more men than women use the internet, thus showcasing the inequal access to digital platforms and the ability to harness the benefits of digital connectivity. Hence, development organisations such as UNDP are advocating for \u2018DigitAll\u2019 connectivity and empowerment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Objectives of the project:<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In light of the abovementioned situations, the proposed project aims to foster women\u2019s study, research, and work in STEM by leveraging the strength of digital platforms. Egyptian women\u2019s digital empowerment will be achieved by supporting and enabling female students, academics, and employees in STEM areas to build and enhance their capacity and employability. In so doing, the project aims to achieve the following objectives:<\/p>