G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Declaration provides insights on promoting digital literacy and addressing the gender divide 

G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Conference cover screenshot

G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Conference cover screenshot

Ministers during the 6-7 April 2017 G20 meeting in Düsseldorf agreed a G20 Ministerial Declaration entitled “Shaping Digitalisation for an Interconnected World”. The Ministerial Declaration includes several annexes, including  a new plan called “A Roadmap for Digitalization: Policies for the Digital Future”  which recognizes that: “Digital skills are increasingly a precondition for participating in modern economic, social, cultural, political and civic life. In order to better prepare our citizens for the opportunities and challenges of globalization and the digital revolution we need to ensure that everyone can benefit and adapt to new occupations and skills needs.”

Furthermore, it was suggested in the same document that additional efforts are required to bridge the Digital Gender Divide in order to provide equitable access to the benefits of digitalization for all. Some of the main actions suggested to address this topic were incorporating gender perspectives on digital strategies, promoting female participation in STEM education and employment, developing metrics to capture data about the gender digital divide and providing digital financial services to empower women.

The Declarataion also includes an annex on boosting digital skills and vocational education and training. Several major actions are intended to take place to tackle this area, some of which include identifying skills required for the future according to each region, promoting entrepreneurial skills, fostering public-private partnerships for skills programs, improving schools’ infrastructure and curriculum, and raising awareness about the relevance of digitalization.

Source: G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Conference