Lenovo along with Girl Up, a gender equality initiative of the United Nation Foundation (UNF), and Ava DuVernay launched New Realities project. The art project celebrates women using smart technology to solve and showcase social issues and empower empathy.
New Realities features and help giving a voice to difference making women in ten markets around the world. The project’s new research, that is conducted by Lenovo, reveals technology has made humans more empathetic towards different viewpoints in their respective communities.
New Realities captures the journeys of courageous, and diverse group of 10 women who use technology for supporting a social cause, providing their community with a much-needed service or creating thought provoking music or art. The film’s characters hail from Mexico,China, France, India, Italy, Brazil,Japan, the UK, Germany and the US.
Ashwini Doddalingappanavar, the female protagonist for the Indian movie, commented “I am extremely delighted to represent India as part of Lenovo’s New Realities initiative. My story is a journey about how I had to struggle and fight my way through family and the society at large to pursue my dreams. I went against my father’s wishes and enrolled in a skill training institute in Hubli after which I got placed in Meghshala, an NGO supported by Lenovo. Today, I train my village schoolteachers to effectively utilize technology in education. By sharing my journey, I hope I can inspire other girls in India pursue their talent and show that we are unstoppable. According to me, women empowerment is to gather courage and break the barriers of society and keep moving forward.”
In addition to featuring women’s missions, Lenovo – in partnership with Girl Up – is funding $100,000 as grants for these women to achieve their goals by pursuing their respective field of study.
Ava DuVernay, an American filmmaker, commented: “I am eager to stand with Lenovo to highlight the strong work of ten talented young women around the world who have used technology to bring their missions to life in extraordinary ways. My colleagues at ARRAY and I created this mentorship as part of a vital effort to empower the next generation of women leaders. I applaud each of these young women for sharing their stories with the world through Lenovo’s New Realities. At such a pivotal time in our world’s history, it is imperative that we hold hands and march toward a more inclusive society where all are valued and embraced.”
The key takeaways from the New Realities: Empathy and Technology Report, include:
- More Appreciation for Tech in New Normal: During the pandemic,there are 79% of respondent who feel they are more comfortable with their tech capabilities. And, the other 79% believe they will be more appreciative of technology.
- Tech Empowers Change Agents to Have a Voice: The majority of respondents, i.e., 73%, believe that technological advancements enable young people to engage with societal issues.
- Younger Generations Empowered By Tech To Better Understand One Another: 76% of Gen Z and 71% of millennials who have participated in this research agreed that technology has made more empathetic towards their communities, during the pandemic.
- Tech Companies Should Power Change: 89% of the global participants believe that tech companies must change in a post-COVID-19 world to use their tech to help address major societal issues.
Dilip Bhatia, Chief Customer Experience Officer of Lenovo, commented: “At Lenovo, we strive to be more than just a technology provider. We want to empower people to use smart technology for positive change. This research validates the need for our role to go beyond powering the technology needs of the world; it’s about technology enabling empathy and empowering future generations to live out their missions and be difference makers.”
To access the New Realities: Empathy and Technology Report, please visit.
