Women in science: Leveraging ICT tools for sustainable economic empowerment

Introduction: Significant empirical evidence from literature revealed that women constitute half of the world’s human capital. Evidence also shows that women have the potentials to redress gender gaps in all facets of all scientific endeavors if empowered through Information and Communication Technology (ICT), favorable ICT laws, policies, cultures, ethics, and values. Despite these important women virtues, there are numerous pieces of evidence in the literature that support significant gender gaps in internet use (23%), literacy rate (48.6%), pay gap (22%), scientific innovations, etc., resulting majorly from restrictions placed by cultural laws, ethics and values that impose gender sensitive ICT policies, especially in Africa. This study highlights strategies to leverage the economic empowerment of women in Science through ICT adoption, favorable ICT policies, culture, ethics, and values.
Methodology: The authors adopted the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as the conceptual framework for this study. The authors also explored a narrative review methodology where related research findings from peer-reviewed articles are used to draw holistic findings that revealed significant information on strategies for leveraging economic empowerment of women in science through ICT adoption, favorable ICT policies, culture, ethics, and values.
Results: Results show that leveraging their literacy abilities for ICT adoption may increase their sociability capital resources thereby advancing sustainable goals for significant national economic development.
Discussion: Gender gaps may result among women in science diverting time for circular works, due to unfavorable customary laws, ethics, and values, to meet family responsibilities or having less control over finances, which negatively impact their affordability of ICT facilities.
Conclusion: There cannot be effective science education, especially among women without effective leveraging of ICT innovations, literacy, adoption, and usage required to leverage economic empowerment of women in Science.