House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (INQUIRER file photo/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)
MANILA, Philippines — The digitalization of the country would bode well for women empowerment efforts as it provides equal opportunities, House of Representatives Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Monday.
Romualdez, who is in the United States to attend the World Bank (WB)-International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, said that adopting a digital public infrastructure (DPI) ensures that women can engage in more activities.
Romualdez said this after attending the lecture of philanthropist Melinda French Gates — who discussed the importance of DPI in increasing the roles of women in the workplace and advancing society because of it.
“Melinda French Gates also mentioned how important the digital public infrastructure is to women’s empowerment. DPI provides them access to capital and opportunities. It gives them dignity and respect and allows them to engage in more activities,” he said.
“French Gates’ words ring true in that even in this day and age, women are still marginalized professionally. We cannot keep ignoring this unfortunate situation if we are to truly have an inclusive society. Luckily, digitization can be the great equalizer and place women on equal footing as men in terms of work opportunities, power, and influence,” he added.
Gates, the former wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has been vocal about women’s rights, especially in recent years.
She founded the investment company Pivotal Ventures in 2015, which focuses on women and families, while her writings have centered on issues of female empowerment.
Romualdez said he was “impressed and inspired” by Gates’ lecture.
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Romualdez also said that he attended a lecture on DPI, speaking with Indian information technology company Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
Romualdez suggested that the Philippines enter into a DPI partnership with the United States (US) and India.
“There should be no stopping women from being key players in this infrastructure. We will make sure to empower women in this regard through legislation, once we have laid down this digital public infrastructure,” he said.
Aside from supporting the plight of women, Romualdez said that digitalization would also be key to economic recovery in a post-pandemic scenario.
“This is the reason why the House of Representatives has passed the E-Governance/E-Government Bill, which seeks to shift the entire bureaucracy to the digital space for faster and transparent delivery of services, and for better engagement with the public,” he noted.