CRACKING THE CODE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023

DENPASAR, BTNp: THE AUSTRALIAN Consulates-General in Bali, Makassar and Surabaya came together on International Women’s Day with a webinar to explore the impact of innovation on gender equality and the digital gender gap on women and girls in Australia and Indonesia.
The webinar Cracking the Code: Innovation for a Gender Equal Future, explored the impact of the digital gender gap and shone a spotlight on the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces.
“We live in a digital world – internet use is on the rise, mobile technology markets are expanding, many jobs have a digital component, and social media provides new ways of connecting in Australia and Indonesia,” said Anthea Griffin, Consul-General in Bali in that occasion.
“Australia is committed to gender equality and the human rights of women and girls, globally and in the Indo Pacific region. We support the use of education, innovation and technology in ways that promote equality and inclusion, and progress the rights, health, security and empowerment of all women and girls,” said Bronwyn Robbins, Consul-General in Makassar.
“We all want to nurture women’s entrepreneurship and innovation, to create a safer online environment for women entrepreneurs and MSMEs, to use technology to build innovative solutions, and to prevent gender-based violence online,” said Fiona Hoggart, Consul-General in Surabaya.
This webinar featured three expert speakers presented by each Australian Consulate-General in Indonesia. Professor Alana Maurushat, Professor of Cybersecurity and Behaviour at Western Sydney University and Director of the Western Centre for Cybersecurity Aid and Community Engagement, spoke about cyber safety and how women entrepreneurs can protect themselves and their businesses from cyber criminals. Ms Faye Wongso, Partner, Superchargers Venture Builder, and CEO & Co-Founder, KUMPUL shared her experiences breaking barriers in the start-up sector as a young entrepreneur.
Dr Dewi Kirono, Principal Scientist at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), discussed her research with Hasanuddin University, Makassar on digital solutions for securing reliable, clean water supply, an issue which disproportionately impacts women and girls.
The webinar was held in a hybrid format at the Dharma Negara Alaya (DNA) Denpasar. The event was attended in-person by around 60 participants from local government, organisations and the business sector, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions and the local media. *BTNewspaper/Counsalate Australia