UN Urges Girls to Lead Next Digital Shift Toward $1 Trillion Economy

• Empowering girls for the next phase of digital transformation, UN targets $1 Trillion economic impact
• ITU is committed to equipping 100 million women & girls with digital expertise by 2035
• An article stated that only 65% of women had internet access in 2024, versus 70% of men

The United Nations is championing girls and young women as the next generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers in the digital economy, urging them to spearhead the next wave of global technological advancement.

In recognition if the 2025 International Girls in ICT Day, observed every April 24, the UN, through the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), emphasized the need for girls to lead the next wave of digital transformation.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU, stated that by 2024, 65% of women were online globally, compared to 70% of men, creating a gap of 189 million more male users, according to a recent article.

She noted that the AI Skills Coalition collaborates with technology experts and education institutions to deliver free, tailored AI training programs. Doreen Bogdan said that despite increasing awareness, women still represents only 35% of STEM graduates globally. Beyond numbers, she pointed out the significant loss in untapped potential, as girls could be the future coders, entrepreneurs, engineers, and digital leaders the world urgently requires.

The ITU’s ‘Our EQUALS Global Partnership,’ which is moving onto a new phase, aims to provide 100 million women and girls with essential digital skills by 2035. 

‘Behind these statistics are real women and girls who don’t have opportunities to learn, earn, connect and create. Connectivity is the foundation of these opportunities. For it to be meaningful, we need affordable, safe, relevant and transformative online spaces where girls can thrive.’ ‘That requires overcoming some long-standing barriers: unequal access to education and digital skills, harmful social norms, affordability constraints, and online spaces that too often exclude or endanger women and girls' Doreen Bogdan stated.

‘In practice, that might look like a young woman from a rural area accessing government services online rather than standing in line at a faraway office.’ ‘It could also be a visually impaired girl receiving an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or finding a job in STEM,’ she added.

According to her, although most regions are moving towards gender equality in internet usage, the disparity is growing in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) emphasized that this year’s celebration was centered on empowering girls and young women to take leadership roles in driving global digital transformation, not juts participates.