An estimated 112 million more women started using mobile internet in 2020 across low and middle-income countries, despite the onset of COVID-19. This is according to a GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report published recently.
The report further revealed that 234 million fewer women than men access mobile internet, with the underlying gender gap in mobile ownership persisting and proving difficult to close.
According to the report, the challenges affecting women in accessing the internet include affordability, lack of literacy and digital skills, and lower awareness of mobile internet. Structural inequalities in society and discriminative social norms also remain a challenge. Even when women have the same levels of education, income, literacy, and employment as men, they are still less likely to own a mobile phone or use mobile internet.
The report further revealed that a record number of women in South Asia now use mobile internet services, helping shrink the gender gap to 15% from 19% last year in low- and middle-income countries.
In almost all markets surveyed, women were more likely than men to access the internet exclusively via mobile. In Kenya, 63% of male internet users said they only used the internet via a mobile device compared to 79% of females. This reliance by women on mobile demonstrates the disproportionate benefit of increasing their access.
“If women are to become equal citizens in a more digital, post-COVID world, closing the mobile gender gap has never been more critical. I urge policymakers, the private sector and the international community to take note of the important findings laid out in the Mobile Gender Gap Report because only concerted action and collaboration will enable women and their families to reap the full benefits of connectivity,” said Mats Granryd, Director General, of the GSMA.
In 2016, the GSMA introduced the Connected Women Commitment Initiative to catalyze action to close the mobile gender gap. Mobile operators continued to make commitments during 2020, with 40 mobile operators across Africa, Asia and Latin America making formal commitments to accelerate digital and financial inclusion for women since 2016.