Women will take knock
DIGITAL SKILLS: EFFECTS ON VULNERABLE PEOPLE NEED TO BE ASSESSED
Robots are being prepared to do jobs traditionally done by women.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is, ostensibly, upon us. The term was coined in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Form.
Broadly, it refers to the collapsing of boundaries between the physical, digital and biological spheres.
More specifically, it’s about the digitalisation of all kinds of systems and processes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the forefront. This involves systems that, as the European Commission puts it, “display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions … to achieve specific goals”.
AI is used in everything from
face and speech recognition technologies to image analysis software. It’s a cornerstone of self-driving cars and advanced robotics.
Part of this “revolution’s” promise is that AI and similar technologies will be used to drive economic growth, development and positive societal change.
But critical inquiry is urgently needed to gauge what effects it is having, and will have, on vulnerable, marginalised populations.
Some have pointed out the need to ensure that policy linked to these changes addresses all stakeholders’ needs. Others have explored its potential effects on inequality in the country’s job market. But there has been little discussion around how women may be affected.
This is a worrying oversight. The revolution looks set to be one dominated by forms of knowledge and industries – like science and technology – that have long been dominated by men.
In addition, many of the opportunities are internet based.
As a recent study has shown, African women tend to have less access to internet-based technologies than men. This means the impact on women’s lives and work opportunities becomes a concern.
With the increase in automation, those working in routine intensive occupations, such as secretarial or call-centre work, are likely to be replaced by computers. Robots are being prepped to replace care worker jobs. These types of positions are generally occupied by women.
In SA, the labour market is already more favourable to men than women.
In addition, due to the burden of care and domestic duties women tend to carry on top of paid work, women have significantly less time than men to undertake further education and training. That means they won’t easily be able to boost their digital skills.
These realities reveal some of the gaps in SA’s existing policy objectives around the Fourth Industrial Revolution. So what can the country do differently?
For starters, it could learn from other countries.
In Ghana, an initiative called STEMbees not only promotes science, technology, engineering and maths training for women and girls, it also addresses social issues such as digital safety.
The country should also consider how technology can be used to empower and help women.
SA needs to research and understand the effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on women and the barriers to accessing and utilising internet based resources.
Rachel Adams: research specialist, Human Sciences Research Council
Republished from TheConversation.com
The labour market in SA is more favourable to men