Uganda

In an increasingly digitalized and connected world, digital technologies are unlocking the potential for women to participate fully in the economy. Digital technologies have the potential to break barriers imposed on women’s mobility and provide an extra layer of security by eliminating the need for physical interactions. They avail women with time-saving solutions for education, health, agriculture, and other social services, thus empowering them to participate in other productive activities despite the time paucity imposed on them by traditional gender roles such as unpaid domestic work. Digital technologies are also a vehicle to financial inclusion through mobile money and innovative digital wallets opening up channels for accessing credit.

However, we are cognizant that left to their own devices, digital economies will not level the playing field. There must be deliberate efforts and intentionality to ensure that digital economies are genuinely inclusive, contribute to equitable growth, and bring long-term benefits to the underserved. Owing to the rapid development of technology with the global and national economy becoming increasingly digital, it is vital to act now to ensure existing inequalities are not exacerbated.