Inclusive, gender-responsive digital technologies can catalyze progress across multiple SDGs.  

Nearly all countries have gender gaps in digital skills and STEM, which significantly impacts the participation and leadership of women and girls in innovation and digital transformation. Underrepresentation is influenced by stereotypes operating at many levels. For instance, the stereotyped perception that girls are less interested in engineering and computer science has been identified in children as young as the age of 6. As a result, women account for only 1 in 3 (35 per cent) of STEM graduates, and globally the share of female researchers, at 31.5 per cent, has barely budged since 2011. The only exception is Central and Southern Asia which saw an increase from 20.4 per cent to 26.9 per cent in 2021. In 2022, women made up less than one in four employees in science, engineering and ICT jobs, which limits their roles in decision-making and influence in the technological design and deployment process. 

Gender and intersectional perspectives in technology and innovation could accelerate progress on multiple SDGs, including through artificial intelligence and digital initiatives linked to agritech, fintech, e-health, e-governance and edtech, among others. Targeted measures to build more inclusive digital ecosystems should both accelerate women’s entry into and retention in the digital economy, and comprehensively integrate social, economic and environmental factors into the design and deployment of emerging technologies. 

Share of female researchers, by region, 2011 and 2021 (percentage)