Countries all around the world have started making significant changes to address gender inequality, increasing the participation of women in both school and the workforce. Globally speaking, progress toward gender parity has halted as a result of complicated events like the pandemic.
However, how can we bridge the gap? A smart place to start is through online schooling. Positive career outcomes for women are encouraged by equitable access to learning opportunities and flexible work arrangements, which also aid in addressing the difficulty of developing skills.
By removing barriers, enhancing gender inclusion in STEM fields, connecting them to growing skills and job opportunities, and inspiring them to explore interests without boundaries, online learning is helping to close the gender education gap and prepare women for in-demand jobs in the digital economy.
Here are the top 5 ways Betty Vandenbosch, Senior Adviser at Coursera, highlighted how the internet has significantly contributed to the empowerment of women.
- DEMOLITION OF BARRIERS
Through online learning, women who find it difficult to enroll in traditional educational institutions—often due to caregiving obligations—can obtain the education they need to upgrade their skills and find high-demand, high-paying employment. Online education has the potential to remove barriers that have historically disadvantaged women by being flexible, affordable, and safe.
- IMPROVE Gender Equality in STEM Fields
Despite a rise in female enrollment and graduation rates in tertiary education over the previous five years worldwide. Particularly in ICT and engineering, women continue to have disadvantages, and they are underrepresented in STEM subjects, which are essential for the expanding technology and digital job sectors.
It is encouraging to see how online learning is being embraced by women all around the world, including in India, to acquire these in-demand digital skills that can hasten their return to the workforce and foster economic mobility. In India, computer programming, machine learning, probability and statistics, and theoretical computer science are among the top five capabilities for female students.
- PROMOTING WOMEN’S ACCESS TO FUTURE JOBS
With adaptable, cheap, and accelerated learning and career routes, online learning is creating new opportunities to connect women to the jobs of the future. Many high-growth entry-level occupations, including Data Analyst, UX Designer, Application Developer, and Social Media Marketer, are available to learners who have completed entry-level professional credentials that have been carefully chosen by industry giants like Google, IBM, and Meta. Each credential is intended to be completed entirely online in 6 to 8 months on average (3–10 hours per week) by students without prior industry experience.
- OPENS NEW TERRITORIES
An important advantage of online learning is the opportunity to pursue a variety of interests, which encourages students to finish the courses they ultimately decide to enroll in. For female students in particular, flexibility is a major concern and is essential to maintaining them in the educational system. The variety, affordability, and accessibility of online courses also inspire more women to explore new careers without making a significant financial investment or long-term commitment.
- Increasing gender parity in leadership positions
Many of the professional abilities that employers need, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, teamwork, and project management, are acquired by women while raising families. Women will be well-positioned to take on new and expanded responsibilities in the modern workforce by developing technological skills online that complement professional talents.
