What works to close digital gender gaps
Mobile phones can help individuals access information, networks, and resources, allowing them to benefit both socially and economically.
Abstract
Mobile phones can help individuals access information, networks, and resources, allowing them to benefit both socially and economically. Yet in many lower income countries women lag men in phone ownership and usage for a variety of economic and normative reasons. The authors investigate two approaches to closing digital gender gaps. The first is a statewide program which distributed millions of smartphones, along with free data to women across the state of Chhattisgarh in central India. The second study layered digital literacy training on top of the smartphone distribution program. Despite initially reversing the gender gap in smartphone ownership, the smartphone distribution program had no long term impact on digital gender gaps. In contrast low cost digital literacy training had lasting impacts, reducing digital gender gaps and increasing women’s smartphone use. Digital literacy training also improved women’s connection with others and mental health, highlighting important areas that phones can improve women’s wellbeing in settings where their mobility and networks are limited.
This is an output of the Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low Income Countries programme.
Citation
Moore T C, Barboni G, and others. ‘What Works to Close Digital Gender Gaps’ Policy Brief No. 68, Gender Growth and Labour Markets in Low Income Countries 2024