Labour MEP encourages women to take up coding jobs

Equal access to information and communications technology (ICT) goes hand in hand with ensuring more economic and social equality, Labour MEP Miriam Dalli said.

During a visit at the Malta Communication’s Authority offices, Dalli said legislators must continue to encourage citizens to get involved in digital sectors, both at European and particularly at national level.

“We need to see more women and girls involved in the ICT sectors. Information and communications technology is our present and future, and we cannot have whole sectors of society that are left out,” Dalli said.

“This is why digital inclusion must take on a global approach and guarantee the digital emancipation of each and every single one of us, no matter our individual position in society. This applies to children, but also to adults that very often find it difficult to actively participate in the digital world.”

The digital divide – which is the skills gap between those who use the internet and those who do not - is significant. In Malta, more than 18% do not have access to the internet. More than 64% of individuals between 65 and 74 years old, do not use the internet, and thus cannot access services such as e-governance.

In view of this, Dalli said that more initiatives were needed to strengthen the digital inclusion of the elderly and disabled in order to insure their participation in society through ICT.

Dalli and the MCA, who have previously collaborated with the Ministry for Competitiveness on an initiative to open up access to the online platform Amazon to Maltese sellers, discussed the potential of extending such incentives.

During talks with MCA chairman Edward Woods, Dalli spoke on the need for greater participation of women in the digital sphere, particularly when it comes to innovative, upcoming sectors like coding.