THE “digital gender divide” is a term used to refer to the unequal opportunities of internet access between men and women. It can also be used as an umbrella term when discussing digital literacy relating to gender and development. This divide is evident through the current statistics from recent reports. In low- and middle-income regions such as South Asia, women are 23% less likely than their male counterparts to access internet connections. Compared to men, women are less likely to have basic digital skills such as sending an email. In most countries, women are 30% less likely to be students of STEM, and in certain regions, only 20% of women represent the workforce.

These statistics provide a clear picture of the digital divide between men and women. It also highlights how men have a head start in the economy or workforce compared to women. This is quite unfortunate. Most modern-day places of employment demand digital skills. This restricts women’s participation in the workforce whenever they are unable to meet that demand. It limits their ability to earn money and also limits their job choices. Certain jobs that require freelancing or remote work will be out of reach if women are not digitally literate. Women, in general, have fewer opportunities in economics and education. If a woman makes less than a man, she is less likely to purchase smartphones or other digital devices. If a woman’s community has barriers against her receiving an education, then she is less likely to have the digital skills needed to use digital devices to begin with. Women also need more representation and role models in STEM fields. The more women join STEM, the more other women might become empowered to become digitally literate.

Women in rural communities are also increasingly underrepresented. These communities, similar to our interiors in Guyana, do not access the internet or devices to begin with. A geographical barrier can be very expensive to expand, like Guyana’s rainforests. As such, women and men alike in those communities are unable to be digitally connected simply because of where they live. While cultural barriers are obvious reasons for women not accessing the internet, digital programmes and the revision of policies surrounding women and development are crucial to combating this issue. Women’s roles in society are changing from the traditional stay-at-home approach to working women in the labour force. The odds, unfortunately, are often stacked against women. The era of digitalisation is no different with these odds. The world is now technologically advanced in ways we never imagined happening. The use of AI, robots, drones, new computer systems and advanced smartphones have been propelling global development.

I don’t intend to sit back and watch yet another barrier being placed against women in development. As such, I urge all policymakers and programme heads to strongly consider more digital literacy programmes targeting women. Let’s encourage more girls to join the technology streams in secondary schools. Let’s increase the wages in women-dominated jobs. Let’s empower women on the importance of digital technology and how it can be used as a tool for their own success. According to Kimberly Bryant, “women are both talented and innovative thinkers and they tend to use computer science to solve larger problems.” Women can be the change agents we aspire to be—we simply need the right space, environment, and empowerment to do so.