10 years of Panoply Digital and the gender digital divide

Schubert, C. (2014, October 20). Visit to villages outside of Dodoma, Tanzania [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cgiarclimate/15608981682

As I reflect on ten years of Panoply Digital, I’m also reflecting on the past decade of the gender digital divide—a topic deeply intertwined with our work. When we launched Panoply Digital in January 2015, we deliberately chose to focus on the intersection of gender and digital technology. This was a space Ronda and I were passionate about and where we saw real potential for impact. In fact, it’s how we first met—at an edtech conference in Helsinki back in 2012, as the only presenters working at the gender-digital crossroads.

A decade ago, in 2015, the gender digital landscape was relatively small, with only a handful of key players. It’s hard to believe now, but the very first GSMA Connected Women Mobile Gender Gap report was published that March. That report revealed a 14% gender gap in mobile ownership, with 200 million fewer women than men owning mobile phones. What stands out when revisiting that report is the focus of its introduction: making the case for why the gender digital divide mattered. At the time, many in the development community, tech sector, government, and private sector either didn’t see the problem or didn’t believe it was worth addressing. Advocacy was essential just to persuade people that the issue was real.

What’s Changed?

So, what’s changed since then? Have we achieved universal recognition that the gender digital divide is real and urgent? Are we making substantial progress in closing it? I wish I could say a resounding yes, but the reality lies somewhere in between.

The ecosystem has certainly grown. Today, there are far more organizations working in this space, and many of them are significant players. For example, the Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality and Digital Connectivity team and initiatives like the Women in the Digital Economy Fund bring more funding and large-scale projects to the table. Advocacy and training programs are also expanding, like the one we delivered for USAID. Digital transformation projects are increasingly incorporating gender considerations—not as an afterthought, but as integral to their design. In some cases, digital transformation work is becoming gender-transformative work.

There are also encouraging shifts in how we approach digital literacy. I’m thrilled to see a growing recognition that mobile-first strategies are essential in most of the contexts where we work. This shift moves digital literacy efforts away from outdated computer labs and toward mobile literacy, which is far more relevant for many women and girls. The introduction of the Gender-Transformative Digital Skills Framework is another positive step, acknowledging that women and girls have unique digital literacy experiences and needs. Additionally, we’re moving away from traditional “women-in-STEM” approaches, like coding clubs, which often require baseline skills or access to technology. Instead, there’s a focus on meeting users where they are with more inclusive, accessible programs.

On the data front, there’s exciting progress in standardizing indicators for measuring the gender digital divide, led by the University of Cape Town. If we can collect and analyze data consistently, we’ll have a much stronger foundation for addressing the divide. This could be a game-changer.

And Yet...

And yet, despite this progress, some challenges remain stubbornly unchanged. The barriers to women’s digital connectivity highlighted in the first GSMA report still persist. While the gender gap is narrowing, it isn’t closing fast enough. The root cause? It’s still deeply entrenched social and gender norms, just as it was 10 years ago. Until we actively address these societal inequalities and include social norms work in our interventions, we risk being in the same place in 2035, repeating the same conversations.

Despite the proliferation of smartphones, low-tech solutions like IVR (interactive voice response) remain critical because they’re often the only tools many women and girls can access. And while we’ve made strides in understanding the gender digital divide, significant gaps remain. For instance, we still lack comprehensive data on adolescent girls under 18, aside from Girl Effect’s excellent Girls and Mobile reports. Without this evidence, we’re poorly equipped to close the gap for the next generation.

Then there’s the rise of AI, the latest buzzword in digital development. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to see a compelling model for ensuring that women and girls are included in AI-driven initiatives. In fact, the evidence so far suggests that AI is exacerbating the gender digital divide rather than closing it.

Looking Ahead

As I reflect on the last ten years, I can feel proud of the progress we’ve made, but I’m also acutely aware of how much work remains. The gender digital divide is a complex, multifaceted issue that requires sustained effort, innovative thinking, and unwavering commitment. I’m committed. Panoply Digital is committed. We’ll continue to push for meaningful change and advocate for women and girls and their rights in the digital economy —because let’s be real here, in this particular political climate, with gender and inclusion on the chopping block, the stakes couldn’t be higher.