"Women must be at the forefront of technological development. Gender-responsive policies can overcome women's challenges in STEM and increase women's access to digital technology skills, leadership, and resources," the ministry's Acting Deputy for Gender Equality, Indra Gunawan, noted in a statement from his office on Saturday.
Gunawan made this statement at the 2024 APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy (HLPDWE) meeting in Arequipa, Peru. At the meeting, Indonesia highlighted three main focuses in increasing the role of women and girls in STEM.
Gunawan highlighted that the first area of focus is by ensuring education and digital literacy for women's better future. He remarked that during the G20 Presidency in 2022, Indonesia succeeded in raising the issue of gender inequality in the digital sector.
This demonstrated Indonesia's real contributions to developing initiatives and standards for women's empowerment and gender equality in the digital era, Gunawan stated.
"Ensuring equal access to technology, finance, and employment opportunities for women in STEM is crucial. Therefore, the availability of data disaggregated by gender in the STEM is a basic requirement for creating effective policies, including in developing strategies to improve education and skills," he remarked.
Currently, Indonesia has various programs and activities promoting digital literacy and women's leadership, such as the women's digital transformation program, digital talent scholarships, and the Women-Friendly and Child-Care Village development program, he stated.
Meanwhile, the second focus is creating a safe digital world for women and children.
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"In this case, Indonesia has passed the Sexual Violence Crime Law in 2022, a breakthrough for Indonesia to strengthen protection for women and children from criminal acts of sexual violence, including in the digital world," Gunawan stated.
The third focus is developing inclusive policies to encourage women's participation in technological advancement.
