Health, education, opportunity at stake, amid stubborn digital gender divide

Closing this gap is not optional. There were189 million fewer women than men online in 2024.

The disparity is about more than access, it reflects deeper systemic barriers, according to ​Doreen Bogdan-Martin who heads the UN telecommunications agency, ITU.

“That’s too many missed opportunities to learn, to earn and to shape our shared digital future,” she said in a message for Thursday’s International Girls in ICT Day.

She underscored that connectivity alone is not enough to ensure true digital transformation.

“It must be meaningful – being able to afford digital devices and services, having the skills to use technology and feeling safe in online spaces. Everyone deserves the chance to thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

2025 Theme

Celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of April, Girls in ICT Day encourages girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Since its launch in 2011, more than 417,000 girls and young women have participated in over 11,500 celebrations across 175 countries.

This year’s theme is Girls in ICT for inclusive digital transformation. The ITU is calling for more investment in girls’ digital education and expansion of access to technology.

More young women need to become creators – not just consumers in the digital world, the agency argues.

“Whether you are an entrepreneur, launching an AI startup, a teacher incorporating digital skills into your classroom or a policymaker shaping our shared digital future, you can help ensure every woman and girl has the chance to connect, create and lead in digital spaces,” Ms. Bogdan-Martin emphasised.

UN Women

A participant at a UN-supported training on STEM for girls and young women.

Global observance

The 2025 global observance will be co-hosted this year by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Eurasia together with States from the Arab region, featuring a live-streamed hybrid event linking Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and Nouakchott, Mauritania.

The programme includes an intergenerational dialogue bringing together girls, women leaders, and ICT experts to discuss practical strategies for closing the gender gap.

Events are also being organized worldwide, including Girls in ICT in Solomon Islands in the Pacific, the Melon Girls Club in North Macedonia and STEM Supergirls in Croatia.