Innovative Technology and Operations for Alleviating Poverty through Women's Economic Empowerment

Can technology and operations enable the world to achieve various United Nation Sustainable Development Goals? I provide my own perspective on this question by focusing on the issue of gender equality through the lens of “women's economic empowerment.” To do so, I use case examples to describe how innovative operations enabled by technologies (mobile phones/online platforms, solar technology, blockchain/AI, and Internet of Things) can empower women to alleviate poverty, reduce hunger by improving health, increase access to clean water and sanitation, increase access to education and decent work. Then I share some ideas for Operations Management researchers to consider so that we can explore and develop ways to close the “gender gap.”