The non-profit INITIATIVE DIGITALISIERUNG CHANCENGERECHT (Initiative Digitalisation Equal Opportunities)("IDC") was founded in 2021 and is committed to shaping the digital transformation in a humane, democratic, social and ecological way and to implementing the UNESCO recommendations to close the digital gender divide in Austria and Europe. Austria's First Lady Doris Schmidauer invited guests to the initiative's round table at the Hofburg on 17 March 2022, including Elke Guenther, AIT Gender & Diversity Officer and Head of Center for Health & Bioresources.
Until the end of 2023, the IDC is planning four round table events on UNESCO's measures to close the Digital Gender Divide (https://www.idc.vision/de/#actions), so that they are made aware, discussed, further developed and implemented in reality. On 17 March 2022, Doris Schmidauer and the founding team of the IDC invited to the first of these round tables at the Hofburg. Representatives from the fields of business, politics, education, technology, health, social affairs and media were linked together - IDC co-founder Martina Mara (Professor of Robot Psychology at the Johannes Kepler University Linz) took over as moderator and, together with the discussants on stage, Prof. in Elke Guenther (AIT Gender & Diversity Officer and Head of Center for Health and Bioresources), Dr.in Gerlinde Macho (owner of MP2 IT-Solutions GmbH), City Councillor Veronica Kaup-Hasler and Nicole Scharang (Equal Opportunities Officer at ORF):
- Pointing out and making visible the advantages of digital skills for one's own life.
- Promoting role models and mentors for girls and women
- Creating financial incentives and quotas for women in STEM programmes
- Empowering women through digital rights.
The focus was on the question: "Are these measures already implemented in your own sphere of influence and where does much more need to happen?"
For equal opportunities in digitalisation
Digital technologies now cover almost all areas of life and are part of our everyday lives. Digitalisation has already facilitated many areas, such as the economy, communication, access to education, goods and services, as well as health and the social sector. At the same time, within this development, the preconditions of all people must be taken into account equally in digitalisation. In 2019, the UNESCO report "I'd blush if I could" was published, systematically showing how design decisions still reflect stereotypical ideas of gender roles. The frequently gender-specific support of children and young people and the associated differences in the self-assessment of girls and boys with regard to their own competences for the future - especially in the STEM subjects (mathematics, information technology, natural sciences and technology) - play an essential role here.
Initiative Digitisation Equal Opportunities (IDC)
It is an urgent concern of the IDC that the results of the UNESCO report with its concrete demands are discussed by a broad public, above all by representatives from business, politics, education, health, culture and the media, but also by experts in various forms, and subsequently implemented in all areas. The goal is for Austria to make greater use of the opportunities offered by digitalisation and to focus on equal opportunities.
More information on the IDC at: www.idc.vision