the numbers of girls and women going into socalled stem fields science technology engineering and mathematics are still very low for example even though many future jobs will lie there however if the pace at which women become frequent users of digital technologies is doubled the workplace could reach gender equality much faster than many current estimates predict accenture a programme in costa rica for example is helping girls in impoverished rural areas learn about science and technology in schools and connecting young women graduates to opportunities to become entrepreneurs in information and communication technology