DIGITAL GENDER DIVIDE

Slide 1
What is it?
 Women and girls remain underrepresented across the creation, use and
regulation of technology. They are less likely to use digital services or enter
tech-related careers, and significantly more likely to face online harassment
and violence.
 Gender digital divide is defined as gender biases coded into technology
products, technology sector and digital skills education.
 Women are less likely to know how to operate a smartphone, navigate
the internet, use social media and understand how to safeguard information in
digital mediums (abilities that underlie life and work tasks and are relevant to
people of all ages) worldwide.
 There is a gap from the lowest skill proficiency levels, such as using apps on
a mobile phone, to the most advanced skills.
 UNESCO estimates that men are around four times more likely than women
to have advanced ICT (Information and communications
technology (ICT)skills such as the ability to programme computers.

Slide 2
Root causes
 Women may not have the financial independence needed to purchase digital
technology or pay for internet connectivity and digital access even when
available, may be controlled and monitored by men.
 In many contexts, women and girls face concerns of physical violence if they
own or borrow digital devices, which in some cases leads to their using the
devices in secret, making them more vulnerable to online threats and making
it difficult to gain digital skills
 The Stereotype of technology as a male domain is common in many contexts
and affect girls’ confidence in their digital skills from a young age

Slide 3
Impact of Gender Digital Divide
 Without equal access to technology and the internet, girls and women
are not able to equally participate in our ever more digital societies.
 Holding back girls and women in this area affects every aspect of their
lives, including their ability to speak out and campaign on issues that
affect them.
 if girls and women are not involved in creating digital tools and online
content, they may exacerbate existing inequalities.
  The gender technology gap also negatively impacts countries’ potential
for economic growth and development. If 600 million more women are
connected to the internet in 3 years, this would translate to a rise in
global GDP of between US$ 13 billion and US$ 18 billion

Slide 4
Benefits of digital empowerment
The main benefits for acquiring digital skills are they:

 Facilitate entry into the labour market

 Assist women's safety both online and offline;
 Enhance women's community and political engagement;
 Bring economic benefits to women and society;
 Empower women to help steer the future of technology and gender
equality;
 Accelerate progress towards international goals.

Slide 5

Need of the hour

 Close all gaps in digital access and skills

 Support women and girls in STEM

 Create tech that meets the needs of women and girls

 Address technology-facilitated gender-based violence

Slide 6
Closing the digital skills and gender gap

Interventions should not be limited to formal education settings, they should reflect a
multifaceted approach, enabling women and girls to acquire skills in a variety of
formal and informal contexts.
Women and girls digital skills development are strengthened by:

1. Establishing incentives, targets and quotas.

2. Embedding ICT in formal education.
3. Supporting engaging experiences.
4. Emphasising meaningful use and tangible benefits.
5. Encouraging collaborative and peer learning,
6. Creating safe spaces and meet women where they are.
7. Examining exclusionary practices and language,
8. Recruiting and training gender-sensitive teacher,
9. Promoting role models and mentors.
10. Bringing parents on board.
11. Leveraging community connections and recruiting allies.
12. Supporting technology autonomy and women's digital rights.

United nations ways to address digital divide

REACT to close the digital gender divide:

R = Rights

 Enshrine digital rights into law.

 Protect and enhance women’s online rights and privacy.
 Equip judiciary with training and resources to fight online gender-based
violence.

E = Education

 Incorporate digital skills training into primary and secondary school

curricula, and ensure that women have equal access to tertiary
education opportunities.

A = Access

 Achieve the Alliance for Affordable Internet “1 for 2” affordability target to

enable more women to connect.
 Develop more public access solutions to offer free or subsidised internet
access for those unable to afford it.
 Create options for subsidised basic data allowance focused on women.

C = Content

 Prioritise local language content, data, information, and services that

empower women.
 Audit government websites to assess their gender relevance.

T = Targets

 Adopt concrete ICT gender equity targets, backed by adequate budget.

 Collect ICT data disaggregated by gender, income, and location.
  Develop new indicators to measure the impact of ICT on women.

Slide 7
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a landmark opportunity for
countries to close the digital gender divide. When UN member states committed to
the SDGs, they pledged to:

 Achieve universal affordable internet access by 2020

 Ensure equal access to basic services [and] appropriate new technology
for all women and men
 Implement policies to empower women through technology

References
 UNESCO, EQUALS Skills Coalition (2019). "I'd blush if I could: closing gender
divides in digital skills through education" (PDF).
 The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020. London: GSMA. 2020.
 Gender-responsive digitalization: A critical component of the COVID-19
response in Africa. Accra: FAO. 2021. doi:10.4060/cb5055en. ISBN 978-92-
5-134540-5. S2CID 243180955
 OECD (2018). "Bridging the Digital Gender Divide: Include, Upskill,
Innovate". OECD
 ITU (2017). "ICT Facts and Figures 2017"
 Gender Divide and the Computer Game Industry by Julie Prescott, Julie
Prescott, Jan Bogg
 https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/explainer/2023/02/power-on-how-
we-can-supercharge-an-equitable-digital-future?
gclid=Cj0KCQjwib2mBhDWARIsAPZUn_mwPFaLBupZmIPf9BwdL1w7dk1rt
Mn8Y4--HVWvouFL3xdZW-KFnwIaAjdCEALw_wcB
 Guest Article: What is the Gender Digital Divide, and Why Should it Matter for the SDGs? |
SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD