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📅 04 May 2023 | 🕟16:00-17:00 CEST | 📌 Online 💻 |

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Context

Although remote working is not a new phenomenon, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the traditional, placed-based employment model in cities across the world, virtually overnight. Mobile connectivity and digital infrastructure has allowed people to work from home and some argue has bolstered the working force within the growing gig economy. Remote work has been praised with many merits, such as increased productivity, greater employee happiness and improved work-life balance. Women are more likely to apply to remote positions, as a 2021 LinkedIn study reveals. Despite the increased flexibility remote work can offer working women, an article published in Forbes raises concerns that “the new hybrid workplace [could] turn some women into second-class employees”. The main argument: Working remotely doesn’t just offer women possibilities to find balance between their work life and their family duties, but it also comes at a cost. Women are still less likely to be promoted, are underrepresented in leadership positions, get paid less and experience disadvantages after having children. All of these factors may contribute in entreching exisiting gender pay gaps. In terms of maining a healthy work-life balance, research emphasises how women who work remotely are faced with different opportunities and challenges than men in these situations. The hidden taxes on women are a good example that illustrate gender differentiation and dyanamics, particularly those working in countries of the Global South.

 

What are we trying to understand?

This Digital Dialogue will discuss the risks and benefits of strengthening greater gender-equality for remote workers by first unpacking current challenges faced by women (practice, policy, infrastructure, time), and, second by offering opportunities and solutions to tackle these challenges. Along with rapidly evolving digitalization and innovation, the virtualisation of the workforce, particularly in more developed economies in which digital infrastructure is accessible, remote working models (including hybrid work models) are seen to be permanent features for many companies. This trend of virtualising the work force is also happening in cities of the Global South. The Digital Dialogue aims to address the following questions:

• What are the challenges and risks faced by women in the world of remote working?
• Is there any differentiation between women working remote in areas within the Global North versus the Global South? What are the reasons for this?
• How can we evaluate the benefits and opportunities against the risks and disadvantages of remote working for women?
• What role does remote (or hybrid) work play in community-based organisations or organisations working in the democracy and governance sector?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of remote working for women innovators/entrepreneurs? Particularly those working in Africa?
• How should employers and gig workers plan for new challenges and opportunities for women working in an ever increasingly connected, and globalised digital world?

 

By evaluating the phenomenon of remote working for women and its consequences (intended and unintended), the Dialogue aims to provide insights to understand the role of employers and their work policies and approaches, reveal the types of resources (infrastructure, human resources, team building and accountability strategies), and identify other strategies (at a policy or legal level) that could address the current gendered differentiation of remote work. A gender-equal approach to remote working for employees working in areas across the world requires a nuanced understanding of the cultural, economic, and social contexts of these regions. The discussion will offer perspectives, insights and arguments from a panel of experts from a range of sectors.

 

The Panel

Dr. Prince Charles Dickson

Dr. Prince Charles Dickson is Peace Insight’s Local Peacebuilding in Nigeria. Based out of Jos, Plateau State, Dr. Prince Charles is a peace practitioner and policy analyst with decades of experience in media, public policy, psychology and development practice. He is currently the Team Lead for the Nigerian-based Tattaaunawa Roundtable Initiative (TRICentre). Prince Charles is a certified negotiator and arbitrator, with training in journalism and psychology. He is also a Henry Luce Fellow and Ford Foundation grantee, and holds certifications in Religion and Global Politics, Gender, Negotiation and Conflict Management and Analysis, Interfaith, Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution. Prince Charles is an alumnus of the University of Jos and, the prestigious Humanitarian Academy at Harvard and the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a doctoral in Psychology (Policy & Human Development) from the Jesuit run Georgetown University Washington DC.

 

Dr. Tendani Mulanga Chimboza

Dr. Tendani Mulanga Chimboza is a Lecturer at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She also serves as the Scientific Engagement Lead for the Cybersecurity Capacity Centre for Southern Africa (C3SA). Tendani conducts research in Social Informatics, specifically research on cyberpsychology, digital parenting, digital activism, and ICT policy. She is passionate about investigating aspects of technology use that unintentionally exclude or marginalize certain groups in society. Tendani holds a Doctorate in Information Systems from UCT and a master’s in arts degree from the University of Western Cape. Before joining UCT, Tendani worked as a Communication Specialist at Saratoga – an IT company based in Cape Town.