Internet access still lower for women across the globe

The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development’s Working Group on the Digital Gender Divide, co-chaired by the GSMA and UNESCO, released a new report, Recommendations for action: bridging the gender gap in Internet and broadband access and use, which analyses and addresses the difficulties faced by women to realise the full potential of Internet access, including the advantages of mobile technology. This remains a critical issue, as the report notes that the gender gap widened from 2013 to 2016, with the highest gap in Least Developed Countries, but with penetration rates higher for men than women across the globe. The report recommends more study, integrated policy, confronting barriers, and multistakeholder cooperation as ways of addressing the digital gender divide.