Opportunities for rural women in the age of digitalization discussed at OSCE events

Opportunities for increased economic participation by rural women through the use of modern IT tools, such as mobile phones and Internet-based communication, was the focus of two events held in Vienna on 6 March 2018.

Gender experts and representatives of OSCE participating States took part in a debate organized by the Gender Section of the OSCE Secretariat and in an informal discussion hosted by Kazakh Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, Chair of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Committee.

Opening the informal discussion, Ambassador Sarybay stressed the importance of women’s economic and social empowerment for his country and the OSCE region at large.

Philip Martin, Principal Gender Adviser at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), who participated in both events, noted that the three main points for increased women’s access to the economy are skills, availability of finances and access to services, including financial and logistical services. 

Maria Hartl, an international expert on gender equality, education and rural development, gave numerous examples of how modern technology provides opportunities for women to run businesses better. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and new satellite and GPS technologies have considerably reduced the cost for land surveying and make it easier to monitor crops or adjust the use of fertilizers based on online weather forecasts. Improved communication helps women in rural areas to build mutual support networks.

Women’s economic empowerment in the age of digitalization is one of the goals of the OSCE’s efforts to promote equal economic opportunities for women. The 2018 Italian OSCE Chairmanship is devoting this year’s OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum to the topic “Promoting economic progress and security in the OSCE area through innovation, human capital development, and good public and corporate governance”.