Girls Leading the Way in Digital Skills
In 2023, an impressive number of girls aged 16-19 in the EU showcased superior digital content creation skills compared to the general populace. This age group has become adept at various technical tasks, raising the bar in digital literacy.
With 78.6% handling file management across devices and cloud storage efficiently, and 73.4% leveraging word processing software, these young women clearly demonstrate their tech-savvy prowess. Additionally, 67.7% are creating multimedia files, while 60.8% are skilled in editing photos, video, or audio files. The mastery doesn’t stop there; 47.3% utilize spreadsheet software, with 22.4% tackling its advanced functions.
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Digital Literacy: A Closer Look
Their participation levels in creating integrated digital content elements are noteworthy, surpassing the general population by margins up to 28.5 percentage points. Notably, in activities like multimedia editing and document creation, young girls are participating at higher rates than boys.
Challenges in Coding
Despite these strides, the coding arena shows a noticeable gender disparity. Among EU youth, only 9.9% of girls have written code in a programming language, compared to 19.7% of boys. The gap persists across 24 EU countries, with Austria, Croatia, and Belgium witnessing the largest differences. Interestingly, Lithuania and Greece are outliers, reporting more girls than boys engaging in coding.
This snapshot of advancing digital literacy among young women coincides with the celebration of the International Day of Girls in ICT, highlighting the theme ‘Girls in ICT for inclusive digital transformation.’ As these trends continue, it resonates with Cyprus’s initiatives, such as UAE-supported desalination projects that underscore inclusive technological advancement.
Relevant Readings
For further insights into Cyprus’s development, check out our feature on why Larnaca is a top destination for Baby Boomers.
