Beating the drum for women’s participation in the digital economy; there’s more to be done.

Only 63% of women are using the Internet compared to 69% of men. There is still a significant digital divide between women and men.

This shocking statistic from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was highlighted in a March 2023 post by the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP). Its author Lian Buan goes on to note that the problem has cost low to middle-income countries US$1 trillion in their economies so far, which if not addressed, will balloon to US$1.5 trillion by 2025.

The data underscore the substantial cost of continuing to exclude women from the digital economy – costs that are clearly unaffordable to the countries incurring them. But it’s not just about giving women access to the Internet. The very meaning of inclusion needs to be examined.

Dr. Andrea Jimenez Cisneros of the University of Sheffield’s Information School studied inclusive innovation in the UK and Zambia. Her research found that in spaces where innovation that directly affects the economy is meant to occur, a lack of gender inclusivity and intersectional inclusivity more broadly can negatively impact the types of innovation to emerge. Dr. Jimenez argues that if you consider inclusion merely by considering quotas of women, you risk women being included into a system that was meant to be for men. This has implications for the innovations that get produced.

Every day we are learning more about the critical need for women to not only have access to online media but to be able to meaningfully contribute once in digital spaces. The recent International Finance Corporation (IFC) and European Commission (EC) event about advancing women's participation in the digital economy provided a timely opportunity for experts to discuss this important topic and share lessons.

A discussion on women’s digital inclusion

At the event, Panoply Digital participated in a panel discussion exploring women’s digital inclusion alongside experts:

• Cécile Billaux, Head of Unit for Private Sector, Trade, Investment Climate and Employment Directorate-General for International Partnerships

• Jaylan ElShazly, Disruptive Technology Acting Lead, IFC Gender and Economic Inclusion Group

• Heather Mae Kipnis, Global Product Lead, Gender and Economic Inclusion Group, International Finance Corporation 

• Abdesslam Benzitouni, VP, Global Head of Communications and Public Relations, Jumia Group

• Maria-Nicole Ikonomou, Head of Enterprise Communications, Coursera

All the panellists shared a similar belief in the importance of designing with women and girls in mind, especially when creating learning environments. This is particularly important as an earlier report authored by Panoply Digital on women’s pathways to the digital sector found that training and upskilling remain the single most foundational pathway to help women participate in the digital economy.

Also highlighted was the importance of upskilling development professionals. Fundamentally, people who facilitate digital development projects meant to include women and girls should have the capacity and awareness to help realise their true inclusion. Panoply Digital shared experience and lessons from its gender and ICT training course delivered to international USAID staff and implementing partners. Developed in partnership with FHI 360 (MSTAR) and USAID Digital Inclusion Team, the course teaches participants the main issues around women's access to and use of mobile and other ICTs, and how to integrate gender and ICT into development programming.

Finally, it was heartening to hear that rules related to reinforcing or maintaining women’s empowerment need not be broken even if an organization is trying to turn a profit. Triple bottom-line impact is a tangible possibility!

The IFC is to be commended for their role in beating the drum around the importance of women’s participation in the digital economy. Since releasing their groundbreaking report Women and Online Learning in Emerging Markets just over a year ago, they have held a series of thought-provoking discussions about the autonomy that women in low- and middle-income countries can find online. This latest gathering, with its global audience, demonstrates that much work remains to be done. With growing data on what works for gender digital inclusion - especially digital training and learning - Panoply Digital looks forward to the opportunity to further contribute to progressive programs, projects, conversations, and thought leadership in this space.

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