Ann Mei Chang serves as the Senior Advisor for Women and Technology in the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues.
Over the past decade, the international development community has recognized that investing in women is the most direct and effective way to promote economic growth, peace, and prosperity. Around the world, and more recently in developing countries, we have seen the transformative impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly mobile phones and the Internet. The question remains, what might be possible when we put these two powerful forces together by investing in women and ICTs in low-to-medium income countries?
This week, the U.S. Secretary of State's Office of Global Women's Issues and UN Women are convening the first International Forum on Women, ICT, and Development (WICTAD) in Washington DC, where we are bringing together leaders across five continents to explore this fast emerging field. Putting women and technology together has the potential to be one of the highest-leverage opportunities to address the world's development challenges. As ICTs become essential tools in both our personal and professional lives, enabling access to these technologies, delivering relevant applications and services, and ensuring inclusion in the lucrative tech sector will become increasingly critical factors in women's ability to contribute fully to their individual, familial, and societal outcomes.
