appalling. Given that women are already
underrepresented in tech jobs, they are more vulnerable to job losses due to
the 4IR. According to predictions and estimations, some existing sectors as
well as job categories will become obsolete due to automation. Job losses for
women are predicted to be more than for men.
Given
that women are more likely to be involved in repetitive work throughout the labour
market (with the exception of clerical support workers), an average improvement
of the content of women’s job might be expected if automation occurs mainly in
relation to repetitive or routine tasks. It is predicted that this could thus
raise the quality of women’s jobs, while reducing their number. However, repetitive
jobs will not necessarily disappear initially, as it may still be cheaper to
use labour than machines when more disadvantaged groups such as women are
employed for low wages.
The 4IR is also
expected to bring in some critical changes to existing gendered norms and roles
in the labour market. It will reverse the gender stereotypes created by the
first, by placing an emphasis back on human talent such as ingenuity and
creativity, and not on traditional masculine skillsets. On-demand production of
customised products and talent will be the most valuable asset in the 4IR. In
an economy which is based more on talent and less on capital, there is a higher
prospect of women being treated more equally. Further, there will be fewer
obstacles for women to talent acquisition and retention.
Education, Skills
and Gender in the 4IR
Despite the pressing need to
equip students with STEM education to face challenges of the 4IR successfully,
it is clearly evident that women are at a disadvantage position to access STEM
education and skills. This is reflected by low female representation in STEM-based
jobs. At present, gender differences exist in STEM education at all levels of
education.
Apart from the weak educational
progress in STEM by women, a clear gender disparity can also be observed in
vital skills required by the 4IR. For example, there is a noticeable gender
disparity in AI skills. AI is regarded as a prominent feature and skill within
the transformations brought about by the 4IR. Globally, only 22 per cent of AI
professionals are female, compared to 78 per cent who are male, accounting for
a gender gap of 72 per cent.
Gender Digital
Divide
The existing gender digital
divide prevent or limit women’s access to, use of and benefits from ICT. Position of women who are already disadvantaged
by such divisions further worsens with the emergence of the 4IR, which is built
upon an ICT-based third industrial revolution.
Gender
digital divide is apparent in Sri Lanka. As of early 2017, 6 million active internet users and 25
million mobile connections were reported in Sri Lanka. In numerical terms, computer literacy stood at 31.1 per cent
and 26.4 per cent for men and women respectively, in Sri Lanka. Similarly,
digital literacy for men is 44.2 per cent and 36.3 per cent for women. This
existing gender digital divide will place extra pressure on Sri Lanka in
meeting the challenges of the 4IR.
Policy
Recommendations
The gendered impact of the 4IR should be considered as
vital, given the already poor performance of the country in ensuring gender
equality in certain key areas.
Opportunities that come with the
4IR should be explored to encourage greater economic participation of women. In
this regard, the platform economy will allow women to work remotely, where flexibility
allows them to access the labour market and remain in it.
A comprehensive restructuring of
the education system will be needed to fulfill the requirements of the 4IR.
STEM-based education can play an important role as a stepping stone to the era
of the 4IR. New STEM-based subjects such as genomics, data science, AI, and
robotics will be in demand that need to be taught. Existing gender imbalances
in STEM education, where girls are at a more disadvantaged position, suggest
that extra efforts are needed to enhance girls’ participation in STEM
education. Increasing the number of subject qualified teachers and schools
offering such classes are key steps which should be taken in order to enhance
STEM education in Sri Lanka.
The gender digital divide – the
socio-economic obstacles which prevent women’s access to, use of and benefit
from ICT – constraints women from fully benefitting from the 4IR. Taking steps
to eliminate the prevailing gender digital divide should be considered a
priority, as these steps will enable many more women to benefit from the new
technological advancements.
