Digitization is the Revolutionary Lever we must Unlock

Before talking about the present, I want to acknowledge the 18th century Industrial Revolution which leapfrogged the push for women's rights.

- By HARDIKA SHAH, FOUNDER AND CEO, KINARA CAPITAL

This was primarily because of the economic empowerment it provided to the masses of women, including giving opportunities to even the poor and illiterate women at a rate never seen before. That was the most significantly recognized era in history when human-made technology changed millions of women's lives in droves and created an opportunity for women to collaborate and have a voice.

In the 21st century, here and now, technology is ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives, even in countries that are still developing. With the presence of electricity, vehicles, and smartphones, we are living in a time of unfettered access to knowledge and the ability for anyone to have a voice of their own on the internet.

So, with the advent of technology especially in this century, gender equality should really have been a thing of the past. Technically (pun intended)...this is true but the reality is that availability of tech does not equate to accessibility. We have a significant digital gender gap that has kept millions of women away from access to information and reaching economic empowerment.