{"id":1807,"date":"2021-03-26T10:12:07","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T10:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/gender-gaps-and-womens-history-reflections-on-women-leading-the-way\/"},"modified":"2024-01-11T14:06:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T14:06:35","slug":"gender-gaps-and-womens-history-reflections-on-women-leading-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/gender-gaps-and-womens-history-reflections-on-women-leading-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Gender Gaps and Women\u2019s History: Reflections on Women Leading the Way"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On March 8, the world commemorated International Women\u2019s Day and in the United States, we celebrate Women\u2019s History Month during all of March, bringing a chance to reflect on women\u2019s leadership and achievements throughout history. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Digital Green, we leverage the power of grassroots partnerships and technology to support farmers and their families as they transform their lives. Digital Green makes sure our work contributes to the United Nations <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 &#8211; Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as a result, more than 75% of farmers reached by our work are women.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digital Green takes inspiration from women as we press forward to achieve gender equality and close gender gaps in digital literacy and access, agricultural productivity, nutrition and health, and access to extension and other services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we highlight some women leaders that we admire, it is worth just remembering the unfinished work ahead of us:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of the 750 million adults that are illiterate, two-thirds are <a href=\"http:\/\/On March 8, the world commemorated International Women\u2019s Day and in the United States, we celebrate Women\u2019s History Month during all of March, bringing a chance to reflect on women\u2019s leadership and achievements throughout history. At Digital Green, we leverage the power of grassroots partnerships and technology to support farmers and their families as they transform their lives. Digital Green makes sure our work contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; as a result more than 75% of farmers reached by our work are women. Digital Green takes inspiration from women as we press forward to achieve gender equality and close gender gaps in digital literacy and access, agricultural productivity, nutrition and health, and access to extension and other services. Before we highlight some women leaders that we admire, it is worth just remembering the unfinished work ahead of us: Of the 750 million adults that are illiterate, two thirds are women. In India, the male literacy rate is 85% vs. 70% among female counterparts. The good news is the gaps have continued closing for women in each of the last three years. Globally, women are 20% less likely than men to use mobile internet. The largest gaps remain in South Asia (51%) and sub-Saharan Africa (37%). A 2019 study in Ethiopia found that the agricultural productivity of male-headed households was over 44% higher than female-headed households. The same study found that if women had the same return on their resources as men, the gap would be closed, arguing for enhanced access to quality agricultural extension, among other services. Women leading the way in equality, technology, and agriculture Savitribai Phule (1831-1897) is regarded as one of the mothers of modern feminist movement in India. When she was married, she was illiterate, but her husband Jyotirao became her teacher and this quickly changed. From there, she pursued more education and enrolled in a teachers training program, likely becoming the first female teacher and headmistress in India. She founded at least 18 schools, initially focusing on educating girls and a care home for vulnerable children. She fiercely advocated for an end to discrimination by caste or gender and she died caring for children during an oubreak of the bubonic plague. Ela Bhatt (1933-present) is a women\u2019s empowerment and financial inclusion pioneer in India and globally. In 1972, she founded the Self-Employed Women\u2019s Association of India (SEWA), a trade union, after becoming aware of the conditions suffered by poor self-employed women and their lack of rights. Now SEWA has over 1 million members across India and its own cooperative bank, which provides financial independence to women. Hedy Lamar (1914-2000) and Radia Perlman (1951-present) are both credited with helping to make today\u2019s internet-accessible mobile phone possible. Hedy is best known as a glitzy Hollywood actress but during World War II, she applied herself to a number of challenges, including improving technology for the Allies. She invented Spread Spectrum Communication Technology to make torpedoes more effective, but it was never used during that era. Today, it\u2019s used to ensure people can talk on a secure, wireless phone line without interruption. Radia Perlman invented the spanning tree protocol, an algorithm which enabled the creation of \u2018Ethernet\u2019, the first wireless internet. Dr. Maria Andrade (1958-present) and Dr. Jan Lowe (1955-present) developed varieties of drought-resistant and biofortified sweet potatoes, bridging the gaps between agriculture, nutrition, health, and food insecurity for farmers and their families in the tropics, particularly in Africa. Both women were part of a group that was awarded the World Food Prize in 2016. They both continue making a difference today in the field of agriculture. Aside from these admirable women, we are inspired daily by the women farmers, including those we feature in our videos, the extension agents that support them, agricultural scientists, technologists, and policymakers that we work with, as well as our own staff. We look forward to continuing to close gender gaps and moving forward this important work of history alongside them, all while building the agency and prosperity of rural women, families, and communities.\">women<\/a>.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In India, the male literacy rate is 85% vs. 70% among female counterparts. The good news is the gaps have continued closing for women in each of the last three <a href=\"http:\/\/On March 8, the world commemorated International Women\u2019s Day and in the United States, we celebrate Women\u2019s History Month during all of March, bringing a chance to reflect on women\u2019s leadership and achievements throughout history. At Digital Green, we leverage the power of grassroots partnerships and technology to support farmers and their families as they transform their lives. Digital Green makes sure our work contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; as a result more than 75% of farmers reached by our work are women. Digital Green takes inspiration from women as we press forward to achieve gender equality and close gender gaps in digital literacy and access, agricultural productivity, nutrition and health, and access to extension and other services. Before we highlight some women leaders that we admire, it is worth just remembering the unfinished work ahead of us: Of the 750 million adults that are illiterate, two thirds are women. In India, the male literacy rate is 85% vs. 70% among female counterparts. The good news is the gaps have continued closing for women in each of the last three years. Globally, women are 20% less likely than men to use mobile internet. The largest gaps remain in South Asia (51%) and sub-Saharan Africa (37%). A 2019 study in Ethiopia found that the agricultural productivity of male-headed households was over 44% higher than female-headed households. The same study found that if women had the same return on their resources as men, the gap would be closed, arguing for enhanced access to quality agricultural extension, among other services. Women leading the way in equality, technology, and agriculture Savitribai Phule (1831-1897) is regarded as one of the mothers of modern feminist movement in India. When she was married, she was illiterate, but her husband Jyotirao became her teacher and this quickly changed. From there, she pursued more education and enrolled in a teachers training program, likely becoming the first female teacher and headmistress in India. She founded at least 18 schools, initially focusing on educating girls and a care home for vulnerable children. She fiercely advocated for an end to discrimination by caste or gender and she died caring for children during an oubreak of the bubonic plague. Ela Bhatt (1933-present) is a women\u2019s empowerment and financial inclusion pioneer in India and globally. In 1972, she founded the Self-Employed Women\u2019s Association of India (SEWA), a trade union, after becoming aware of the conditions suffered by poor self-employed women and their lack of rights. Now SEWA has over 1 million members across India and its own cooperative bank, which provides financial independence to women. Hedy Lamar (1914-2000) and Radia Perlman (1951-present) are both credited with helping to make today\u2019s internet-accessible mobile phone possible. Hedy is best known as a glitzy Hollywood actress but during World War II, she applied herself to a number of challenges, including improving technology for the Allies. She invented Spread Spectrum Communication Technology to make torpedoes more effective, but it was never used during that era. Today, it\u2019s used to ensure people can talk on a secure, wireless phone line without interruption. Radia Perlman invented the spanning tree protocol, an algorithm which enabled the creation of \u2018Ethernet\u2019, the first wireless internet. Dr. Maria Andrade (1958-present) and Dr. Jan Lowe (1955-present) developed varieties of drought-resistant and biofortified sweet potatoes, bridging the gaps between agriculture, nutrition, health, and food insecurity for farmers and their families in the tropics, particularly in Africa. Both women were part of a group that was awarded the World Food Prize in 2016. They both continue making a difference today in the field of agriculture. Aside from these admirable women, we are inspired daily by the women farmers, including those we feature in our videos, the extension agents that support them, agricultural scientists, technologists, and policymakers that we work with, as well as our own staff. We look forward to continuing to close gender gaps and moving forward this important work of history alongside them, all while building the agency and prosperity of rural women, families, and communities.\">years<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Globally, women are 20% less likely than men to use mobile internet. The largest gaps remain in South Asia (51%) and sub-Saharan Africa <a href=\"http:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/GSMA-The-Mobile-Gender-Gap-Report-2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">(37%)<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2019 study in Ethiopia found that<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the agricultural productivity of male-headed households was over 44% higher than female-headed households. The same study found that if women had the same return on their resources as men, the gap would be closed, arguing for enhanced access to quality agricultural extension, among other <a href=\"http:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/GSMA-The-Mobile-Gender-Gap-Report-2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">services<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Women leading the way activists, technologists, and agriculturists<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Savitribai Phule (1831-1897) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is regarded as one of the mothers of the modern feminist movement in India. She was illiterate\u00a0when she married\u00a0her husband <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jyotirao, who later became her teacher\u00a0and changed this. From there, she pursued more education and enrolled in a teacher&#8217;s training program, later becoming the first female teacher and headmistress in India. She founded at least 18 schools, initially focusing on educating girls and a care-home for vulnerable children. She fiercely advocated for an end to discrimination by caste or gender and she died caring for children during an outbreak of the bubonic plague.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4884\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4884\" style=\"width: 130px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img class=\"wp-image-4884\" src=\"http:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/MJ-Ela-Bhatt-October-2013.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4884\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ela Bhatt (PC: Wikipedia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Ela Bhatt (1933-present)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a women\u2019s empowerment and financial inclusion pioneer in India and globally. In 1972, she\u00a0founded the Self-Employed Women\u2019s Association of India (SEWA), a trade union, after becoming aware of the conditions suffered by poor self-employed women and their lack of rights. Now SEWA has over 1 million members across India and its own cooperative bank, which provides financial independence to women.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4885\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4885\" style=\"width: 149px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img class=\"wp-image-4885\" src=\"http:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/1200px-Hedy_Lamarr_in_The_Heavenly_Body_1944.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"149\" height=\"149\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4885\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hedy Lamar (PC: Wikipedia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4886\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4886\" style=\"width: 126px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img class=\"wp-image-4886\" src=\"http:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Radia_Perlman_2009.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"126\" height=\"126\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4886\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Radia Perlman (PC: Wikipedia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Hedy Lamar (1914-2000)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Radia Perlman (1951-present)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are both credited with\u00a0making today\u2019s internet-accessible mobile phone possible. Hedy is best known as a glitzy Hollywood actress but\u00a0during World War II, she applied herself to a number of challenges, including improving technology for\u00a0the Allies. She invented Spread Spectrum Communication Technology to make torpedoes more effective, but it was never used during that era. Today, it\u2019s used to ensure people can talk on a secure, wireless phone line without interruption. Radia Perlman invented the spanning tree protocol, an algorithm that enabled the creation of \u2018Ethernet\u2019, the first wireless internet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4890\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4890\" style=\"width: 147px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img class=\"wp-image-4890\" src=\"http:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jan_Low_HOF_STUDIOS_HOUSE_OF_FOTOGR_BB5C46487EA8C.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"147\" height=\"147\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4890\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Jan Low (PC: The World Food Prize)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4889\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4889\" style=\"width: 130px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img class=\"wp-image-4889\" src=\"http:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/MariaAndrade_in_field-450x300-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4889\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-weight: 100;\"> Dr. Maria Andrade (PC: International Potato Centre)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>Dr. Maria Andrade (1958-present)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Dr. Jan Low (1955-present) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">developed varieties of\u00a0drought-resistant and biofortified sweet potatoes, bridging the gaps between agriculture, nutrition, health, and food insecurity for farmers and their families in the tropics, particularly in Africa. Both women were part of a group that was awarded the World Food Prize in 2016. They both continue making a difference today in the field of agriculture.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aside from these admirable women, we are inspired daily by the women farmers, including those we feature in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalgreen.org\/videos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">videos<\/a>, the extension agents that support them, agricultural scientists, technologists, and policymakers that we work with, as well as our own staff. We look forward to continuing to close gender gaps and moving forward this important work of history alongside them, all while building the agency and prosperity of rural women, families, and communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Digital Green takes inspiration from women as we press forward to achieve gender equality and close gender gaps in digital literacy and access, agricultural productivity, nutrition and health, and access to extension and other services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[144,147,146,145,141,139,143,140,142],"class_list":["post-1807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reflections","tag-digital-divide","tag-female-farmers","tag-gender-equality","tag-gender-equity","tag-gender-gaps","tag-international-womens-day","tag-sdg5","tag-womens-history-month","tag-womens-leadership"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1807"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2674,"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1807\/revisions\/2674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalgreen.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}