eTrade for Women Advocates induction ceremony
05 May 2021
UNCTAD is proud to champion the eTrade for Women initiative. This unique endeavor that is helping more women entrepreneurs like yourselves to become leaders of the digital transformation and contribute to change the narrative.
Let me begin by extending a special welcome to the two new Advocates, Ms. Mona Ataya and Ms. Pierangela Sierra, who are joining the eTrade for Women initiative. We are delighted to have your support. I look forward to tackling challenges facing female digital entrepreneurs in the Arab States and in Latin America.
The rapid spread of new digital technologies is creating immense opportunities for growth and development through new business models, better access to information, greater market access, and better participation in regional and global value chains.
Yet, the benefits of digitalization do not accrue automatically and women. The factors that prevent women from playing a more prominent role in the digital economy are multi-dimensional. They relate to gender bias, lower participation in labor markets and in decision-making processes, limited digital skills, lack of trust, and unequal access to funding, among others.
The transition to digitalization and e-commerce is not an easy task and pre-existing gender inequalities do not make it easier.
The digital landscape is changing rapidly, including in developing countries, and there are reasons for hope. Positive transformations are taking place with the widespread uptake of mobile telephony and rising levels of Internet use, which are lowering the barriers to entry and opening room for women to run digital business.
But beyond these positive changes, we cannot ignore the unprecedented context brought about by the pandemic, which makes our work more pressing and relevant than ever.
We are only starting to grasp the full social and economic consequences of the pandemic. But the situation is not good. Our data show that the poorest and the most vulnerable in developed and developing countries alike, have been hardest hit. The most affected are the poor, informal workers, and migrants, which are often predominately women. The economic fallout could reverse some of the hard-earned progress made over the past decade towards women’s empowerment. Moreover, recent data show that the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.
The pandemic has also led to an unprecedented acceleration of the digital transformation or our economies. Since the onset of the crisis, digital solutions have been increasingly relied upon for remote economic and social activities. They have been critical for telemedicine, telework and online education, but also of course, for online consumption of goods and services.
e-commerce has surged across the globe, including in developing countries, with long-term implications. While global trade in goods and services was declining by 9 and 15 per cent respectively in 2020, e-commerce experienced a surge – with its share in global retail going from an estimated 14 to 17 per cent.
This change in the digital landscape is here to stay. Helping women take advantage of these business and trade opportunities must be part of the response to the crisis. Women must be part of the solution!
We have no choice but to take action to reduce a growing divide or it will result in even greater inequalities.
What is needed now are bold decisions to unlock the potential of digitalization for women. A more supportive environment, enhanced partnerships and greater visibility of women in leadership roles are needed to redefine digital ecosystems that work for all.
Now is the time to be vocal: digitalization will be a key driver of recovery and many countries are putting digitalization at the center of their development strategies. It is important to put women’s needs at the center of the digital agenda.
We also believe in the power of partnerships and dialogue. The transformational potential of digitalization will be best achieved when governments, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders work towards a common goal. Together with our eTrade for all partners, we are seeking to mobilize the international community and strengthen partnerships to boost action to empower women in the digital economy.
In your role as Advocates, I would like to underscore a few points:
Throughout your tenure, we encourage you to share your experiences and showcase your achievements, to convey an inspiring message about the transformative power of women entrepreneurship and digital technologies.
You will contribute to changing the narrative and making women entrepreneurs’ play their part in regional and global policy processes to build a more inclusive and resilient digital future.
Your voices can help us amplify this important message: we need to build inclusive digital economies, and women must be part of the digital transformation. Failing on this objective would not only be a lost opportunity, it would exacerbate existing gender inequalities that would be hard to reverse.
Digital businesses are often led by visionaries. Each one of you carries this entrepreneurial and innovative spirit which can help push barriers and help shape the economies of tomorrow.
We believe you can empower others: you have paved the way for others to follow in your footsteps, and your efforts can help other women dare to try, push barriers and grow.
In closing, let me emphasize that:
It is eTrade for Women’s mission is to make sure that gender equality in the digital economy gets the attention it deserves.
We hope to amplify your voice and share a powerful message.
I look forward to hearing your views on how we can help entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing countries – especially women-led businesses – to become better prepared to participate in the digital economy.
Your perspectives are valuable: As business leaders and pioneers in your field, you are in the “front seat” of the digital transformation of your respective countries and markets. Your perception of the changes that are taking place, and of the issues at stake is critical.
Your contributions as Advocates will be essential to help us understand how to help governments and key stakeholders make the right decisions and to build gender-inclusive digital ecosystems.
Finally let me assure you that I am personally committed to supporting this vision and will accompany you throughout this journey.
