Between March 6 and 17, representatives of UN member states will convene in New York for the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. They will deliberate on innovation, technological change and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. As the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, the Commission on the Status of Women has been instrumental in promoting women’s rights and shaping global standards on gender equality. This 67th session provides a critical opportunity to shape a global normative framework on technology and innovation that advances a human-centred approach to digitalisation, with feminist principles of inclusion at its core. It can ensure women and girls are properly supported to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. The deliberations at this meeting provide an entry point for stakeholders to consider what they would like to see in the Global Digital Compact. The compact was proposed in the UN secretary general’s report Our Common Agenda , expected to be agreed in September 2024. The digital revolution is a game changer across all spheres of development – political, social, economic and environmental – especially in times of crisis, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, technological advances risk perpetuating existing patterns of discrimination and gender inequality. According to the International Telecommunications Union, 69 per cent of men globally used the internet in 2022 compared to 63 per cent of women. As of 2022, only 30 per cent of women in the least developed countries used the internet compared to 92 per cent in high-income countries. Aside from internet access, other gender inequities persist. Women and girls enjoy less autonomy to use the internet without interference. Uneven access to educational opportunities for women and girls means they benefit less from the digital transformation than men do, and online and technology-facilitated gender-based violence is rife. On access to education, about one in four girls globally are not involved in any form of education or training compared to one in 10 boys of the same age, according to Unicef data from 2019. This is particularly stark because globally girls are attending and succeeding in primary and secondary education at the same rate as boys, including in the areas of mathematics and science . However, when it comes to advancing to higher education, employment and training, girls’ participation is much lower than boys. The limited presence of women and girls in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and maths) in tertiary education leads to their underrepresentation in STEM careers. Women continue to be a minority in information and communications technology (ICT) and broader STEM fields. In 2021, 28 per cent of engineering and 40 per cent of computer science graduates were women. Women make up only 22 per cent of professionals working in the field of artificial intelligence. Women and girls also continue to be exposed to online and ICT-facilitated violence as they seek to make use of digital technologies to access information, goods and services. In Asia and the Pacific, the overall prevalence of online violence against women stood at a staggering 88 per cent, according to a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Those at heightened risk include young women, girls and women whose professions or activism require them to be more visible online – such as female journalists, politicians, women’s rights activists and human rights defenders. Addressing these issues requires multidisciplinary digital education to ensure all women and girls have equal access to digital skills training that goes beyond learning basic computer skills. At the same time, governments should take action to ensure women and girls are co-creators and decision-makers in the design, development and deployment of technology that meets their needs. Both approaches require measures to tackle and dismantle stereotypes that have suppressed the participation of women and girls in STEM education and careers. Time is right to boost girls’ ICT education and fix gender digital divide We need robust legislation and increased capacities and safeguards in line with international standards to eliminate gender-based violence facilitated by technology and protect the rights of women and girls online. Governments should enhance transparency and accountability for the use of personal data, strengthen trust in data-driven products and services and ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits. Most importantly, efforts must be made to ensure the affordability and accessibility of the internet, digital tools and services for women and girls in all their diversity. Women and girls are not only the consumers of online information and digital services, but they should also be empowered to shape the region’s digital transformation as innovators, entrepreneurs, business leaders and decision-makers. Only then can we achieve a truly inclusive and sustainable digital transformation in Asia and the Pacific without leaving anyone behind. Sarah Knibbs is regional director ad interim at UN Women Asia and the Pacific Debora Comini is regional director at Unicef East Asia and Pacific Atsuko Okuda is regional director of ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific