The panel discussion began with an opening speech by the founder of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria and the First Lady of Ondo State in Nigeria, Betty Akeredolu. She mentioned the need of more female representation in tech industry in order to bridge both gender and digital gaps. According to her speech, technology has redefined everyday life including employment and job description while she also stated that in the future, 90 percent of work will require information communication technology (ICT). She highlighted gender issues in Nigerian context related to cultural norms and religious beliefs and how ICT can either solve or worsen those problems depending how it is utilized. Thus, it requires deliberate and conscious efforts to make an effective use of media and ICT to promote gender equality.
The panel consisted of four individuals from different backgrounds and having different expertise. Asked how media could be use to promote gender equality, the panelists provided different responses including using social media campaign, providing access and media education to young girls, and producing gender neutral advertisements. Even though the panelists did not really discussed much of Nigerian context-specific innovation and challenges with media literacy, the discussion provided a certain degree of insight of media literacy projects in the country.
When asked about the sustainability strategies, the panelists highlighted the importance of involving community members either through funding or participation. In addition to that, they also mentioned the importance of mentoring and volunteering, training boys and men through gender-neutral programs, changing people's mindsets about gender issues, and creating role models for young girls.
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