Innovating equality: The Post as an engine of digital empowerment

To mark International Women’s Day 2023 celebrated under the global theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, the UPU will convene a cross-sector panel of digital empowerment leaders to share best practices and address some key related questions.

The Post is transforming itself. From letters to parcels, from correspondence to e-commerce, from physical to digital – these profound multi-dimensional transformations call for in-depth cultural changes and, first and foremost, a transformation of the perspective towards the one that is more open and inclusive. Multiple studies have proven that a diverse workplace free of discrimination and stereotypes is more conducive to innovation and creativity. This makes the inclusion of women in postal digital transformation processes not only a necessary condition for the Posts’ market leadership, but a pure matter of survival.

At the same time, for the Post as one of the key socioeconomic players, advancing digital transformation through gender equality and vice versa goes far beyond being an equal opportunity employer. Leveraging their traditionally strong role in digital financial services and digital inclusion, Posts have a vast potential to facilitate the digital empowerment of women and girls in their communities through related study and career programmes, awareness-raising campaigns, programmes for women-led start-ups and MSMEs, and innovative investment-generating projects.

With digitalization and equality going hand in hand, there is clearly a niche for the postal sector to act as a catalyzer of both. Whether postal organizations already possess a strong digital inclusion record, or they are just embarking on this journey, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is dedicated to supporting them on this core social mission. To mark International Women’s Day 2023 celebrated under the global theme ““DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, the UPU will convene a cross-sector panel of digital empowerment leaders to share best practices and address some of the key related questions, including:

1. How can Posts use gender equality to meet their digital transformation goals?
2. What are the various ways that the Post can support women and girls in the technology sector and help them succeed?
3. How can Posts help encourage women-led innovations?
4. How can postal digital services be used to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment society-wide?

The interactive online discussion in English and French will feature a diverse panel of speakers from the ICT sector, the UN, and the Post, a special address by the UPU Director General and a Q&A session with the international audience.