UNICEF Gender and Innovation Evidence briefs - Insights into the gender digital divide for girls What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review UNICEF Gender and Innovation Evidence briefs - Insights into the gender digital divide for girls What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review Alexandra Tyers-Chowdhury and Gerda Binder UNICEF Introduction 3 The current evidence base 5 Closing the gender digital divide 18 What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review Introduction What is digital technology? Digital technologies are and applications; old and electronic tools, systems, new systems of media, devices and resources that communication and information; generate, store or process connected devices and data. Digital technologies environments; virtual and are continually evolving augmented reality; artificial and expanding. They intelligence, including machine include the internet and learning; robotics; automated mobile technologies; digital systems and data analytics; and networks, content, services biometrics and biotechnology. Online experiences and Digital literacy is increasingly opportunities are critical seen as an essential skill for for children’s and young employability and has been people’s development across linked to higher earning a wide range of areas. These potential and new economic include engagement in online opportunities.2 education, both formal and informal learning, access to Over 90% of jobs worldwide have critical information and support 3 related to health and well- a digital component. being, participation in creative However, distinct geographic, and cultural practices, civic economic, and social gaps in engagement and expression access persist, including those of ideas and opinions, leisure related to disability and gender.4 and connecting with peers, Closing the digital divide for and searching for employment, all children needs tailored career information and understanding and actions for entrepreneurship opportunities.1 each of these barriers. 1 Stoilova et al, 2021 2 UNICEF, 2017 3 United Nations, 2018 4 UNICEF, 2017; UNESCO, 2019 3 What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review The gender digital divide community of knowledge is overwhelmingly focused on women (above 18 years). This leaves a significant knowledge gap on the digital realities for today’s generation of girls.5 However, limited available data does demonstrate that girls face similar patterns as women, including lower access and use.6 There are similar regional variations and significant gaps in use of more sophisticated technology tools (e.g., smartphone access and range of use).7 5 GSMA, 2020; ITU, 2019; EQUALS, 2019 6 Girl Effect, 2018 7 GSMA, 2020; Girl Effect, 2018 4 What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review The current evidence base What is the gender digital divide? Gender inequality in the physical world is replicated in the digital world. There is a large gap in women and girls’ digital adoption and use compared to men and boys. However, most data There are also stark regional available to quantify this gap differences. For instance, the focuses on adults only, not gender gap in mobile ownership children. The International is much larger in South Asia Telecommunications Union (ITU) (23%) and sub-Saharan Africa reports that more than 50% of (13%).11 Women are more likely the world’s women are offline.8 than men to borrow or share This is more pronounced in mobile phones (often within developing countries, where a household or from a male the internet penetration rate for family member) and are rarely adult women is 41%, compared the primary owners of a mobile to 53% for men.9 GSMA found device.12 GSMA reports that that 393 million adult women women are more likely to have 8 ITU, 2019 in developing countries do not simpler feature phones that do 9 ITU, 2019 10 GSMA, 2020 own mobile phones, and globally, not support mobile internet use, 11 GSMA, 2020 women are 8% less likely to and women are 20% less likely 12 EQUALS, 2019 own a mobile phone than men.10 than men to own a smartphone.13 13 GSMA, 2020 5 What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review This gender gap in digital access is accompanied by a gender gap in meaningful digital use. Several studies have found that women tend to use mobiles and the internet differently than men. For example, limited by less expensive and sophisticated handsets, women use a smaller range of digital services (often primarily voice and SMS). Women also use digital services less often and less intensively, and they access the internet less frequently, for fewer reasons.14 These disparities in usage limit women’s access to the full range of opportunities offered by digital.15 What do we know about the gender digital divide for girls? To date, there is little research on gender differences in digital access for children under the age 16 of 18. However, the limited data internet use among boys were available does indicate a similar double those of girls in Nepal, pattern of lower access and and quadruple those of girls use for girls, as for women. In in Pakistan. Phone ownership countries with data, girls aged was almost 30% higher among 15–19 years were less likely boys in Nepal, Pakistan, and than boys to have used the Bangladesh. Weekly access to internet in the past 12 months, information media was also 14 Web Foundation, 2015; Web Foundation, 2016; LIRNEasia, 2019; and they also had lower mobile substantially lower among GSMA, 2020 phone ownership. The greatest adolescent girls in Nepal, India, 15 USAID, 2020 disparities were in South Asian Afghanistan and Timor-Leste.17 16 Tyers A and Banyan Global, 2020 countries. For instance, rates of 17 UNICEF EAP, 2019 6 What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review Another study, by Girl Effect and Boys use far more digital the Vodafone Foundation, found boys are 1.5 times more likely platforms and services for a than girls to own a mobile phone and 1.8 times more likely to own much wider range of activities a smartphone.18 More than half (52%) of girls borrow mobile than girls, and they are more phones if they want digital access, compared to 28% of likely to use the internet. boys.19 As for adult women, this gender gap in access is echoed in digital use overall. Roughly 46% of boys use the internet on their phones, compared to 27% of girls.20 Why is it important for girls? As the digitization of economies expands, economic and social growth will increasingly depend upon people’s ability to use technology. While some jobs require very advanced digital skills, most jobs and daily activities need basic digital literacy to engage with a digital economy.21 Without increased digital adoption and use, girls will have fewer employment opportunities and will face additional barriers to 22 23 workforce participation. Digital adoption and use can also offer women, and girls in particular, opportunities to 18 Girl Effect and Vodafone overcome hurdles they may face Foundation, 2018 in the physical world. Digital 19 Girl Effect and Vodafone Foundation, 2018 access can empower women and 20 Girl Effect and Vodafone girls, help expand their sense Foundation, 2018 of self in the world, increase 21 UNESCO, 2019 civic engagement, and raise 22 Plan, 2020. 24 23 USAID, 2020 awareness of their rights. 24 OECD, 2018 7 What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review What needs to be addressed to close the digital gender gap? Reasons for the digital gender and girls.25 Factors that need gap include inequitable access to be addressed to close the to education and harmful social gender digital divide can be norms that exist in the “offline” broadly categorized into three world and impact digital realities interlinked areas: access, digital and potential benefits for women literacy, and online safety. 25 Tyers A and Banyan Global, 2020 Digital literacy Access Online Safety 8 What we know about the gender digital divide for girls: A literature review Access A key barrier to women and girls’ digital inclusion is lesser access, compared to men and boys. This includes access to devices, to data, and to networks. Low levels of infrastructure, costs tend to be higher in areas girls with less disposable network quality, and coverage with lower connectivity due to income to spend on mobile or disproportionally affect access lack of market competition28 and internet services31 go online for women and girls. Their choice found that women and girls tend less frequently. Women and girls of network is often restricted to be more price-sensitive than who live in remote areas were by various factors, such as men. Women often have lower particularly affected, due to more basic handsets26, fewer levels of income (women often significant gaps in infrastructure choices of SIM, and the cost of earn 30–50% less than men29) and network coverage in data.27 The Alliance for Affordable and are often less financially rural areas.32 Internet (A4AI) reports that independent.30 Women and Social norms and gender inequality underpin women’s and girls’ lesser digital access.33 The internet is often perceived girls.37 However, Research ICT as a risk to the traditional Africa has found that removal social order or seen as unsafe of social norms barriers enables for women and girls.34 Male women and girls to be more (or family/community) frequent and active users.38 gatekeepers control or restrict Similarly, Girl Effect reports that access to devices and the in contexts where girls have internet for many women and more freedom and agency, they girls.35 For example, some rural are more likely to have access communities in northern India to digital technology.