Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
8th International Conference on Contemporary Studies in Management (COSIM) Conference, Braunschweig, Almanya, 15 - 19 Kasım 2024, ss.45-50
Women in Digital: A Comparative Analysis of EU and Türkiye
Özlem Genç[1],
Ceran Arslan Olcay, Batuhan Özkanlı, Özlem Atay
Özlem Genç, Ankara
University, Türkiye
ogenc@law.ankara.edu.tr
Ceran Arslan Olcay, Ankara University, Türkiye
ceran.arslan.olcay@ankara.edu.tr
Batuhan Özkanlı, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
Özlem Atay, Ankara University, Türkiye
ozkanli@politics.ankara.edu.tr
Purpose
The aim of
this study is to evaluate the role and participation of women in the EU and
Türkiye. We examined the correlation between internet usage rates and women
working in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) to
analyse digital transformation process. In this context, the situation of
Turkish women in ICT sector is compared with EU countries.
Theoretical
Framework
Within the
framework of the EU's "2030 Digital Compass" and the DESI data, the
impact of digital transformation on human capital will be analysed. In
particular, the role of digital literacy in contributing to a qualified
workforce in the digital economy will be discussed, and strategies and policies
aimed at increasing women's participation in the digital economy will be
evaluated. In this context, the digital performance of EU countries will be
examined, and recommendations will be developed regarding women's contributions
to the digital transformation process.
The study differs from other work in the field
in terms of the methodology, subject and comparison. Defining the correlation
between the internet usage and gaining ICT speciality to see the effect on
human capital makes the research unique. The sections that emphasize the importance
of women's participation in the digital economy and evaluate the impact of the
EU's digital transformation are notable. Specifically, the part that highlights
the weak and strong relationships
between women's internet usage and their employment as ICT specialists which
are different according to country groups and the analysis stressing the
necessity of education, awareness, and breaking societal prejudices to
strengthen this connection, stand out. The findings of the article conclude
that correlation between internet usages is meaningful if education, policies
on raising awareness and breaking social prejudices prevail.
Methodology
To determine
the role of women in the digital transformation process, which is the focus of
the study, DESI data will be used. First, the study will assess whether the
internet usage rate, one of the most important indicators of digital literacy,
is a metric for digital transformation and its role in influencing the
qualified human capital that creates added value. For this, a correlation
between the internet usage rate and women working as ICT specialists will be
examined. Sustainable digital transformation will only be possible with a
workforce that has the potential to create innovative value. The impact of
basic digital literacy on the development of human capital capable of driving
digital transformation will be explored. The correlation will be measured using
the Python programming language, coded in Jupiter Notebook. To ensure a sound
evaluation, all EU countries will first be examined, followed by an analysis of
the 13 member states that joined after 2004, which have more heterogeneous
economic and social structures. Additionally, a literature review on the status
and development of human capital in the digital world will be conducted to
support the evaluation.
Results
In the EU as a whole, the Pearson correlation coefficient between
women's internet usage rates and the percentage of women working as ICT
specialists is 0.59. This indicates a positive and
statistically significant relationship between the two variables. On the other
hand, in the 13 countries that joined after 2004, this coefficient is
calculated to be 0.28, indicating a weak relationship.
This means that there is not a strong connection between internet usage and the
percentage of women in the ICT field in these countries. This means, women’s
ability to specialize in the ICT field is linked not only to internet usage but
also to education and qualified human resources. This situation highlights the
influence of socio-economic differences. In addition breaking stereotypes to
strengthen women's roles in the digital economy by pursuing studies in STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields from an early age.
The EU aims to increase digital literacy and train highly qualified digital
specialists by 2030. Inclusive education policies and strategic approaches to
digital skills are emphasized in this context. It is evident that future
policies should focus on these elements.
DESI data is
used to analyse the woman in digital EU. The use of estimated values for
certain countries in DESI may not fully capture all aspects of the digital
transformation process. Within DESI, “Women
in Digital” index is used to measure women's
participation in digital transformation that may not fully reflect the social
and economic differences between countries. There are significant differences
in the levels of digitalization among EU member states. Countries that joined
the EU after 2004, in particular, have more heterogeneous social and economic
structures compared to other member countries which affect the consistency of
the correlation analyses change the findings which let us make implications
from a wider perspective.
Discussion
and Conclusions
Sustainable
digital transformation will only be possible with a workforce that has the
potential to create innovative value and women inclusion in human capital.
First, DESI data should continue to monitor women’s contributions and
participation in the digital transformation process, guiding policies to analyse
whether gender equality is being achieved in countries' digital transformation
processes. There should be concrete steps in areas such as digital literacy,
education, labour policies, and cultural change: To increase women's digital skills,
greater investment should be made in STEM fields. In addition, gender equality
strategies should be developed to increase female representation at the
management level. The EU can introduce mandatory quotas, laws, and regulations
to ensure gender equality in member countries.
As a conclusion, the emphasis on how digital skills should not solely
rely on internet usage, along with the importance of education, in this
process, represents the original insights of the text. The analysis that
underlines women's equal participation in the digital economy as a strategic
component of the EU's 2030 Digital Compass goals, and the need for increased
investments in gender equality-focused education and infrastructure to achieve
these targets, is an original assessment of the article.
Keywords:
Women in Digital, EU, Türkiye, Digitalisation in Human Capital, Gender
References:
Damiani, F.,
& Rodríguez-Modroño, P. (2024). Measuring the digital inclusion of women: a
posset-based approach to the women in digital scoreboard. Quality &
Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 58(1), 705–722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-023-01666-z.
Elena-Bucea,
A., Cruz-Jesus, F., Oliveira, T., & Coelho, P. S. (2021). Assessing the
Role of Age, Education, Gender and Income on the Digital Divide: Evidence for
the European Union. Information Systems Frontiers, 23(4),
1007–1021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-020-10012-9
European Commission.
(2019). Women in Digital | Shaping Europe’s digital
future (europa.eu), Date of Access:
27.08.2024
European Commission (2020). Women in Digital Scoreboard 2020:
Gender Equality in the Digital Economy and Society. European Commission,
Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/women-digital-scoreboard-2020.Access Date: 20.09.2024.
European Commission (A), (2021), Communication from the Commission. 2030
Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade. COM/2021/118 final.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0118.
Date of Access: 11.09.2024.
European Commission. (2021(A)). 2030
Digital Compass:
The European way for the digital
decade. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0118&from=en.
Date of
Access: 15.07.2024
European Commission. (2021(B)). Digital
Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2021. European
Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and
Technology. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/digital-economy-and-society-index-desi-2021
European Commission. (2021(C)). Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI)
2021: Methodology Report. European Commission, Directorate-General for
Communications Networks, Content and Technology. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/digital-economy-and-society-index-desi-2021.Date
of Access::10.09.2024.
European Commission. (2023(A)).
Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). Retrieved from https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/desi.Erişim:19.09.2024.European
Commission. (2023(B)). DESI 2023: The EU Member States Digital Performance.
Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/digital-strategy/desi-2023-member-states-performance.Erişim:20.09.2024.European
Commission (2024(A)). Digital
Decade DESI visualisation tool. https://digital-decade-desi.digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/datasets/desi/charts/desi-indicators?period=desi_2024&indicator=desi_ict_spec&breakdown=m&unit=pc_ict_spec&country=AT,BE,BG,HR,CY,CZ,DK,EE,EU,FI,FR,DE,EL,HU,IE,IT,LV,LT,LU,MT,NL,PL,PT,RO,SK,SI,ES,SE .Date of Access:::
25.09.2024.
European Commission, DESI, Compare two indicators, (2024(B)).
Martin, A. (2008). Digital
Literacy and the "Digital Society": An introduction to the Fourth
Edition. Journal of
E-Literacy, 4, 3-6. https://scholar.google.com.tr/scholar?q=Martin,+A.+(2008).+Digital+Literacy+and+the+%22Digital+Society%22:%C2%A0&hl=tr&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart.Erişim:11.08.2024.Van Laar, E., Van
Deursen, A. J., Van Dijk, J. A., & De Haan, J. (2017). The relation between
21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review. Computers in Human Behavior, 72,
577-588. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563217301590?casa_token=epZ-FF8uMt8AAAAA:ys8JmrpQSvEbB49afspkS6lUBX-PctH7cDEFzcRicEKYumzEhfiA4HOVUetEvAOrwmziKRdq.
Date of Access:02.09.2024.
Kichigin, O.
& Gonin, D. (2019). Human capital as a catalyst for digitalization of
regional economy. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, pp.
1-8.
Lamberti,
G., Lopez-Sintas, J., & Sukphan, J. (2021). The social process of internet
appropriation: Living in a digitally advanced country benefits less
well-educated Europeans. Telecommunications Policy, 45(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2020.102055
Lopez-Martínez
María, García-Luque Olga, & Rodríguez-Pasquín Myriam. (2021). Digital
Gender Divide and Convergence in the European Union Countries. Economics:
Journal Articles, 15(1), 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1515/econ-2021-0012
Nikola
Štaffenová, & Alžbeta Kucharčíková. (2021). Digitalization and human
capital. Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(1), 40–52.
OECD
(2001), Understanding the Digital Divide, OECD Digital Economy Papers,
No. 49, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/236405667766.
Pelinescu, E. (2015). The impact of human capital on economic growth.
Procedia Economics and Finance, 22, 184–190. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212567115002580 ,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(15)00258-0. Date of Access: 17.09.2024.
Picatoste,
X., Mesquita, A., & González-Laxe, F. (2023). Gender wage gap, quality of
earnings and gender digital divide in the European context. Empirica:
Journal of European Economics, 50(2), 301–321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10663-022-09555-8.
Qureshi,Sajda. Digital transformation for development: a
human capital key or
system of oppression? Informatıon Technology For Development427-429 dergi 424-434)
2023, VOL. 29, NO. 4, 423–434, https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2023.228226,
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/02681102.2023.2282269?needAccess=true.
Ristanović,
V., Šostar, M., & Hak, M. (2024). Are Women Recognized in the Digital
Economy? Experiences of Developed Economies. Studies in Business &
Economics, 19(1), 200–215. https://doi.org/10.2478/sbe-2024-0011.