A new report published by the GSMA as part of today’s International Women’s Day celebration has indicated that the mobile internet gender gap has narrowed slightly in one year but advised that there is still much work to be done to carry women along in today’s digital economy.
Data in the report shows that the mobile internet gender gap in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) narrowed from 19% in 2022 to 15% in 2023, bringing the mobile internet gender gap back to where it was in 2020.
According to the data, the reduction has been driven primarily by South Asia where it decreased from 41% in 2022 to 31% in 2023. The gender gap in Sub-Saharan Africa has narrowed somewhat in 2023 from 36% in 2022 to 32% in 2023, but is not significantly lower than what it was in 2017 (34%). This gap has remained relatively unchanged in the other regions.
“This reduction in the mobile internet gender gap across LMICs was due to women adopting mobile internet at a faster rate than men. In 2023 fewer men started using mobile internet compared to 2022, but there was an increase in the rate of adoption by women. While the narrowing in the mobile internet gender gap represents a promising shift compared to the previous two years, it is not yet clear if women’s rate of mobile internet adoption will continue to increase and whether the mobile internet gender gap will continue to narrow,” the report written by Claire Sibthorpe, Head of Connected Society & Connected Women and titled ‘Mobile Gender Gap Report 2024’, which will be officially unveiled in May 2024 noted.
Meanwhile, the data indicates that much more needs to be done to accelerate digital inclusion and close the mobile gender gap, even as progress has stalled in recent years and while there has been some progress in the last year, the gender gap in mobile internet remains substantial.
When women start using mobile internet, they tend to use it less frequently than men and for a narrower range of services. New data this year that will feature in the Mobile Gender Gap Report 2024 will show what barriers prevent female, and male, mobile internet users from using it more than they already do.
While calling on Connected Women Commitment Partners are actively work to tackle the barriers women face, GSMA noted that the digital and mobile gender gap is not going to close on its own and that greater focus and investment is needed to move the needle and accelerate progress.
“Our Connected Women Commitment Partners have highlighted that setting clear targets and taking informed, targeted action makes a difference. But these gender gaps are driven by a complex set of social, economic and cultural factors that cannot be addressed by one organisation alone. Further action is required by policymakers, industry, the development community and other stakeholders working together to better measure, understand and address women’s needs and the barriers they face,” it said.
It announced that that 22 mobile operators have made or renewed their commitment to reduce the gender gap in the customer base of their mobile internet and/or mobile money services as part of the GSMA Connected Women Commitment Initiative.