The digital gender gap was a consequence of discrimination against women, which starts in early childhood, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has stressed.
In its exploratory opinion on the digital gender gap, drafted at the European Parliament's request, the EESC suggested a multi-level approach and called for holistic policies addressing different sources of inequality.
“The digital gender divide is not merely a technological issue: it is an economic, social and cultural one. In order to close the gap, measures must therefore address different fields: the education system from childhood to adulthood, the labour market, work-life balance, public services and the digital divide in general,” it said.
"The education system is the main policy area to be addressed. We need to tackle cultural and also linguistic stereotypes, and it is particularly to the latter area that we can all contribute", says Giulia Barbucci, rapporteur for the opinion. "Girls (and boys) must be provided with different role models. In the 21st century it is high time that we address gender stereotypes and tackle them at their deepest social and cultural roots."
The committee highlighted the importance of digital literacy and education, saying this implied that teachers and trainers should be familiar with the use of information and communication technologies.
Girls' and women's interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) must be raised, it said, for instance by presenting female digital role models and successful female entrepreneurs, and also by showcasing the possibilities and opportunities for a successful professional future with extended STEM knowledge.
The Gender Equality Index, which measures inequality in the domains of work, time, money, knowledge, power, violence and health, clearly shows that women are discriminated against in the labour market and society in general. Furthermore, progress in this field is slow: the index only increased by 4.2 between 2005 and 2017, from 62 to 66.2 points.
On a positive note, the EESC pointed to the digitalisation of the public sector as a great opportunity for training and employing more women in that sector.
It said that EU countries should be encouraged to set national targets and indicators to monitor the situation. Country-specific recommendations in this field could be addressed to member states in the European Semester process.