LG questions how can innovation flourish when over half of the population’s input is left out?
In the past decade, we have witnessed a change in how gender issues are portrayed around the globe. Though the first International Women’s Day dates back to 1911, Women’s rights and gender equality are still far from being achieved. Unfortunately, data shows that the gender gap is widening and instead of progressing, we are moving backwards. Instead of taking 170 years to close the gap at the current rate of progress, it is estimated that gender parity across the world will take over two centuries, as per the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report. With so many women being left behind in major industries like science and technology, it is essential that women’s capabilities are recognized beyond the walls of a household.
Some consider this issue to be unimportant with all the political wars that are reshaping today’s world. However, gender parity is an important achievement that strongly influences whether economies and societies advance. Consequently, successfully harnessing and mobilizing half of the world’s total talent pool has a huge impact on growth.
While women’s roles in each society and culture differs, there is a growing consensus that women have the power to play active roles in STEM industries and mainly in technology especially that it can advance the lives of women. Even more encouraging are recent projects that have seen Lebanese women take the lead to create a better world through the use of technology. The likes of Priscilla Elora Sharuk who is the cofounder of the password protection provider Myki, Delphine Edde, cofounder of digital media company Diwanee, and Ayah Bdeir founder of LittleBits tech toy which is changing the engineering landscape, and the list goes on and on. These leading female minds are fine examples of what women empowerment is.
As such, technology plays an active role in making women’s lives more resourceful by facilitating daily activities and work related tasks thus allowing women to have some free time. With LG’s latest smartphone devices, time-saving is now easier. Being multi-taskers by nature, women often find themselves juggling between household chores and work. Through LG’s V30 smartphone, it is now much easier to transfer one’s office anytime, anywhere and stay plugged in.
Managing Director of LG Levant, Hong Ju Jeon, indicates that, “Technology firms are helping improve the lives of millions of women through better access to markets and knowledge as LG continues to lead the way with a range of female and ecofriendly products. We are reinventing the workplace especially for younger female employees who value flexibility, convenience and independence.” Adding that, whilst many of the older generation are leaving their careers to complete their caregiving role within the family, many female entrepreneurs in the tech world are battling against this trend by leading the way to a more equalized field by embracing remote office setups that empower working mothers.
LG’s V30 smartphone is tailor-made for modern professionals that want to succeed in today’s highly mobile work culture. To best deliver consumers’ preference for big screens in small bodies, LG engineers squeezed a 6-inch, 18:9 FullVision display into a frame that is 8mm shorter and 3mm narrower than its predecessor. Sheathed front and back in tempered glass that curls around its edges, the V30 won accolades for its exquisite look and feel. Weighing in at only 158g, the V30 is the lightest smartphone in the 6-inch and over smartphone category. It’s smart engineering allows anyone working from home to enjoy all the perks of an office environment in a much more efficient way.
Yet despite all these efforts, gender inequality persists as a digital divide in many countries, undermining the industry’s ability to benefit from half of the world’s population. There are signs of change, however, thanks to pioneering companies, like LG, that are exploring products and strategies that continue to aid in bridging the tech gap and having more women stay in the working field while also continuing their caregiving role.