How We Honor Our Commitment to Inspire Inclusion

Article by Arquelle Shaw

Today, March 8, marks International Women’s Day (IWD), a day where we celebrate women’s achievements and promote gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. This year’s theme of “Inspire Inclusion” reminds us that when women are included, we can work together to forge a better world. One way to ensure a better world is to help bridge the digital divide for everyone, including women.

The digital divide—the gap between those who have technology access and education and those who don’t—is especially pronounced based on race and gender. There are many causes of the digital divide, including lack of access to technology, various levels of digital literacy, geographic restrictions, and low-income levels. It has been estimated that 2.7 billion people, or almost a third of the global population, are unconnected to the internet. That number is staggering.

According to the World Economic Forum , women are 21% less likely to be online compared to men. And it’s worse for those in the least developed countries. That number spikes to half as likely. This means that women and girls are losing out on educational and career opportunities and the ability to participate in the digital economy. It’s about a lot more than not being on the latest social media app; it’s about their job prospects, health, and overall livelihood.

In 2022, Equinix launched the Equinix Foundation, to realize the vision of a more accessible, equitable and interconnected digital future for communities around the world through grants and partnerships. The creation of the Foundation built on the company’s commitment to join with organizations working to close the digital divide.

?In honor of International Women’s Day, we’d like to highlight the good work of one of our partner organizations, World Pulse , a woman-owned non-profit. World Pulse is an online community that uses the power of technology to connect women globally to spark and encourage social change. Equinix is proud to support several of its initiatives, most notably “Her Digital Leadership Alliance,” which connects women in 50 countries with gender-transformative digital skills to benefit millions more in local efforts to bridge the gender digital divide. We are proud to be a founding member of this program, and we hope our collaboration will help meet our shared vision to advance women through the power of technology.

This is an exciting time for women and our allies around the world. But it’s not without its challenges. Equinix proudly supports the mission of those working toward digital equity and inclusion. On this International Women’s Day, imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equity. Collectively we can all?Inspire Inclusion.

Learn more about the Equinix Foundation .