Côte d'Ivoire - Women Digital Inclusion Underway, Says Minister Nassénéba Touré

Minister Touré reiterated the willingness of her gouvernment to ensure inclusion and gender equality through technological innovation in the digital age by training women.

She recalled the 2019 ratification of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the establishment in 2011 of the Platform against Cybercrime (PLCC). "These instruments facilitate the development of technological innovations for women in a secure cyberspace."

In addition, the Government has invested $3.2 billion to deploy a National Digital Development Strategy to transform Côte d'Ivoire into a Hub for technological innovation in Africa.

Addressing technological infrastructures, she cited the implementation of 7,000 km of fibre optics to build 3,000 cyber centres for urban and rural communities to reach 46% of Internet users and the female population.

Regarding the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP 2021-2025), the structural transformation of the economy and its modernization, her Government plans massive investments in e-administration, E-banking, E-trade, E-education and E-health sectors that strongly affect females' gender.

Nassénéba Touré concluded that these initiatives are intaking place in conjunction with a policy of empowerment and skills development. Thus, with the support of the United Nations, the project "Right to inclusive education" has reduced the illiteracy rate from 51% to 40% among women, with professional integration of young girls in the digital sector improved through the cyber cafes spread throughout the country.

The national theme of International Women's Day (IWD 2023) is "Technological and digital innovations: levers for the social and economic inclusion of women and girls in Côte d'Ivoire". Globally, the theme is "For an inclusive digital world: innovation and technologies for gender equality".

Claude Djaquis-Bady

Published/Update on 10/03/[email protected]:04