Representación de la mujer en la promoción de su inclusión en el sector TIC y tecnológico: Análisis de los mensajes digitales de la campaña institucional PorTICMujer del gobierno colombiano (2018-2022)

Abstract

In Colombia, social and gender inequality remains a deeply rooted structural challenge. The country ranks second in inequality in Latin America and is among the most unequal in the world. This gap is especially evident in the lives of women, who face high rates of gender-based violence: approximately 4 out of 10 women have experienced physical violence at some point in their lives. This is compounded by a disproportionate burden of domestic and caregiving work, with women spending an average of 8 hours per day on these tasks, compared to only 3 hours for men. Such inequality limits women's access to personal and professional development opportunities. In response, between 2018 and 2022, the Colombian government-under President Iván Duque and Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez, the first woman to hold this position in the country's history-launched initiatives to reduce gender inequality. One of their flagship campaigns was PorTICMujer, which aimed to promote women's participation in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and technology-related fields-sectors known for high labor demand and better wages-through courses and workshops. This research focuses on analyzing the messages disseminated by the PorTICMujer campaign on social media platforms (Facebook, X, and Instagram) and the news section of its official website during the Duque-Ramírez administration. From a feminist perspective, it examines how women are represented in the digital and ICT sectors in Colombia, and whether this representation aligns with the government's political framework and with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 on gender equality. To achieve this, a detailed analysis is conducted on the government's political axes and the content shared on the campaign's digital platforms, including textual and visual posts (images and videos). These representations are approached not as decorative elements, but as symbolic constructions that shape meaning and actively participate in discourse production. The methodological strategy combines virtual ethnography with content and visual analysis, allowing a comprehensive approach to the campaign's media discourse and the government's political orientation. The study seeks to determine the extent to which the analyzed messages propose gender equity measures and problematize structural inequality in the Colombian context. It also examines whether the messages reproduce or challenge gender stereotypes and assesses their potential contribution to women's empowerment within the institutional communication strategy. In this regard, it also explores whether the campaign helps address gender inequality or, despite its good intentions, avoids confronting deeper structural issues such as the burden of domestic work, recognition of violence, or unfair labor conditions. Although this research centers on a campaign in the Colombian context, its findings may be applicable to similar campaigns in other countries. The analysis helps to understand how gender equity proposals are articulated and communicated through technological initiatives, as well as to identify the aspects that are emphasized or omitted. This opens up the possibility for critical reflection on institutional discourses across various sociopolitical and cultural contexts, and on their actual capacity to challenge or reinforce structures of inequality in the digital and technological spheres.

Date of Award	22 Jul 2025
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Aida Martori Muntsant (Director) & Luisa del Carmen Martínez García (Director)