As world leaders gather in New York to adopt the eagerly anticipated United Nations’ Pact of the Future and the Global Digital Compact (GDC), there is no better time to spotlight women’s digital participation.
It’s no secret that ensuring all women and girls have equitable affordable access to digital technology spurs economic growth, improves development outcomes, and has the power to lift millions out of poverty. Yet many barriers to connecting women with technology pose constant challenges for women and girls, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), exacerbating the gender digital divide. With renewed energy and a sharper focus on women’s digital inclusion, we are excited to announce the timely launch of our first report, The Time is Now: Policy Actions to Close the Gender Digital Divide.
The internet has the power to transform livelihoods, increase economic security, and build resilience, especially for women in marginalized communities. Despite the fact that the internet is inherently an open, non-exclusive, and decentralized technology, globally, there remains an entrenched and significant gender digital divide, with 244 million more men than women using the internet in 2023 (ITU, 2023).
The Women in Digital Economy Fund’s (WiDEF’s) steadfast commitment and motivation to addressing the gender digital divide is focused on building an evidence base to inform policy and practice, supporting the scaling of evidence-based solutions, and facilitating partnerships to achieve these aims.
Executive Summary (Excerpt)
Women’s meaningful participation within the digital economy remains one of the most pivotal ways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet despite global efforts, progress remains slow. In low- and middle-income countries, just one-fifth of women have access to the internet compared with one-third of men. The gender digital divide is even more pervasive in rural communities and reflects existing societal gender disparities. Without comprehensive action, this divide will continue to harm women’s rights, livelihoods, and economic opportunities.
This report provides policymakers with key considerations to accelerate the adoption of gender-transformative digital policies. These policies address the root causes of gender inequalities, promote collaboration across sectors, and tackle restrictive social norms that limit women’s full participation in digital spaces. As we approach the adoption of the UN Global Digital Compact and the UN Pact of the Future in 2024, the time to act is now.
From the report, “The Time is Now: Policy Actions to Close the Gender Digital Divide”, policymakers can expect to glean actionable steps on how to design for women’s inclusion to foster women’s meaningful participation in the digital economy. As the digital world rapidly evolves and emerging technologies become a part of our everyday lives, closing this divide is crucial to achieving equitable economic growth and ensuring that, in particular, women and girls in LMICs are not left behind.
Featuring illustrative examples from across multiple regions at varying stages of implementation, this piece spotlights ‘promising practices’ for decision-makers to learn from diverse approaches taken across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These examples encourage consideration of how such policies and initiatives may be customized to local contexts, and aim to inspire policymakers to take immediate action.
The report also offers seven key considerations for developing gender-transformative policies. It underscores the need for dedicated political will, leadership, committed resources, and cross-sector collaboration to build inclusive digital ecosystems. By adopting gender-transformative policies, we can create a future where everyone, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive in the digital age.
The best time to act is now.
Governments, private sector leaders, and development partners must take bold, concrete actions to close the gender digital divide. By reaffirming commitments, allocating dedicated resources, and learning from promising practices, we can unlock vast social and economic opportunities for women, and society in general, worldwide.
Let’s ensure that millions of women are not left behind in the digital age. Read the full report to explore how we can make this vision a reality.
Download the full report here.
About WiDEF
The Women in the Digital Economy Fund is a joint effort between USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate progress on closing the gender digital divide. WiDEF supports and funds programs that advance digital access and affordability, develop relevant products and tools, provide digital literacy and skills training, promote online safety and security, and invest in sex-disaggregated data and research. It supports, wherever possible, women-led, feminist, and gender-transformational solutions, products, and tools. WiDEF is managed by the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP), the GSMA Foundation, and CARE.