UN report shows digital divide hits women harder in poor countries
UN report shows digital divide hits women harder in poor countries
According to a United Nations report released on Wednesday, 90 per cent of young women and adolescent girls in the world’s poorest countries lack access to the internet.
According to UNICEF research, there is a major risk that women may fall behind economically in a world where digital connectivity is advancing and there is an imbalance between the number of girls and boys online.
Teenage girls and women are “shut out when it comes to digital skills,” the report claimed.
According to UNICEF, which investigated data usage in 54 predominantly low-income countries for its research, 78 per cent of young men and teenage boys live offline in the world’s poorest countries.
This translates to about 65 million adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 who don’t have access to the internet, versus some 57 million of their male peers.
“Closing the digital divide between girls and boys is about more than just having access to the internet and technology. It’s about empowering girls to become innovators, creators, and leaders,” Robert Jenkins, UNICEF director of education, said in a statement.
“If we want to tackle gender gaps in the labour market, especially in science, technology, engineering and math fields, we must start now by helping young people, especially girls, gain digital skills.”
Even in cases when girls had equitable access to traditional educational opportunities, such as math and reading, the report warned, “it does not always translate to digital skills.”
Disparities in access to technology persist even within the same household. In a study of 41 countries, UNICEF found “households are much more likely to provide mobile phones for boys than girls.”
Female youth are 13 per cent less likely to own a mobile phone, UNICEF said, “limiting their ability to participate in the digital world.”
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