How Girls’ Education Reduces the Digital Divide Globally

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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The Widening Gender Digital Divide

Around the world, access to technology is unequal, particularly for women and girls. This gap, known as the digital divide, creates significant hurdles. Globally, a staggering 244 million fewer women use the internet compared to men (Girls’ Education Bridges the Digital Divide – Education Cannot Wait; Girls’ Education Bridges the Digital Divide – PR Newswire). This lack of access directly limits educational paths, job prospects, and chances to innovate.

The situation is particularly stark in many parts of Africa. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, digital literacy shows deep gender disparities; only 40 women possess spreadsheet skills for every 100 men (Closing the digital divide for women and girls through education – UNESCO; Bridging the Gender Digital Divide: Challenges and an Urgent Call … – ReliefWeb). Spreadsheet skills are vital, representing the ability to manage data and participate effectively in today’s economy, a key skill identified by the World Bank for countries like Nigeria and Kenya (Demand for Digital Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa). Furthermore, a shocking 90% of adolescent girls and young women in low-income nations are considered “offline,” meaning they lack internet connectivity (Bridging the Gender Digital Divide: Challenges and an Urgent Call … – ReliefWeb; Girls’ Education Bridges the Digital Divide – PR Newswire (Second Article)). This severely cuts them off from crucial learning and career development opportunities.

Factors like cultural norms, restrictions on movement, and the high cost of devices and data disproportionately affect girls, especially those living in conflict or crisis situations like South Sudan or Somalia (Girls’ Education Bridges the Digital Divide – Education Cannot Wait; Bridging the digital gender divide – Plan International; Show Humanity for Her: Education Cannot Wait for Girls in Conflicts). Indeed, these systemic barriers often mean technology is seen as “for boys,” further discouraging girls’ participation (Bridging the digital gender divide | Plan International).

Urgent Need for Bridging the Digital Divide Regionally

The digital divide isn’t uniform; regional differences highlight where action is most needed. Africa faces the most significant challenge, particularly in its least developed countries (LDCs) like Chad and Niger. Here, the gender gap in internet access stands at 32.9%, the largest globally (Bridging the digital gender divide | Plan International; The Crucial Need for Africa’s Daughters to Rise and Bridge the … – WTEconline). Basic digital skills lag dramatically; for example, spreadsheet proficiency sits at a mere 1.6–2.4% in Chad and the Central African Republic (Digital Skills in the Global South: Gaps, Needs, and Progress).

South Asia also struggles with a significant 26% gap in mobile phone ownership between women and men, directly impacting educational access (Bridging the digital gender divide | Plan International; The digital divide is hurting women’s education and income – World Economic Forum). Contrastingly, targeted programs show promise. In Latin America, Plan International’s Smart Schools project successfully reduced dropout rates by teaching digital skills to over 5,300 girls, directly challenging the stereotype that technology is a male-dominated domain (Smart schools bridge digital gender divide in Latin America – Plan International). Nevertheless, challenges persist even there; Guatemala still reports a 23% gender gap in internet use, fueled by social norms and inadequate infrastructure (Smart schools bridge digital gender divide in Latin America – Plan International).

Economic Power Unleashed: Closing the Gap for Women in STEM

Closing the gender digital divide isn’t just about fairness; it’s about unlocking massive economic potential. Doubling the number of women in the tech workforce by 2027 could add an estimated €600 billion to the global GDP (Closing the digital divide for women and girls through education – UNESCO; The digital divide is hurting women’s education and income – World Economic Forum). Currently, women comprise only 26% of professionals in data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) worldwide (Closing the digital divide for women and girls through education – UNESCO). This underrepresentation means valuable perspectives and talents are missing from key innovation sectors.

Personal stories highlight the transformative power of digital access. Consider Confidence, a data analyst from Nigeria, whose journey through online education helped her overcome unemployment (The digital divide is hurting women’s education and income – World Economic Forum). Furthermore, projections by UNESCO suggest that providing equitable digital skills training in countries like Ghana and Tanzania could reshape the economic futures of over a million girls (Closing the digital divide for women and girls through education – UNESCO). These examples powerfully illustrate how digital literacy directly translates into empowerment and economic mobility for women across the continent and the diaspora.

Education’s Role in Promoting Girls’ Education & ICT

Education systems play a central role in bridging the gender digital divide. Recognizing the deep inequalities revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Indianapolis Public Schools, for example, invested $12 million to ensure every student had a device (How IPS Plans to Bridge the Digital Divide – Indianapolis Monthly). Similarly, the UK government committed £45 million towards achieving 100% school connectivity by 2030, focusing on areas that need it most (No child left behind in plans to narrow the digital divide in education – UK Government). These investments acknowledge that access is the first crucial step.

Beyond access, changing mindsets is key. Teacher training programs in Nicaragua successfully boosted girls’ involvement in STEM fields by 40%, effectively challenging gender biases about technology (Smart schools bridge digital gender divide in Latin America – Plan International). Likewise, initiatives like Nigeria’s She Creates Camp are equipping girls with cutting-edge skills in AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), preparing them for leadership roles in future tech-driven economies (The Crucial Need for Africa’s Daughters to Rise and Bridge the … – WTEconline). These programs demonstrate how targeted educational efforts can empower girls and reshape their futures.

Overcoming Barriers with Digital Literacy Programs & Collaboration

Addressing the gender digital divide requires tackling deep-seated systemic barriers through collaborative efforts. Household biases play a significant role; data from 41 countries shows families are 30% more likely to give mobile phones to boys than girls, creating inequality from the start (Bridging the Gender Digital Divide: Challenges and an Urgent Call … – ReliefWeb). This disparity severely limits girls’ ability to access online learning or even receive essential alerts, as seen in Nigeria, where girls without phones miss out on scholarship information (Empowering Underserved Communities in Africa through Technology – Tech Herfrica). Cultural norms in many rural African communities also reinforce the idea that technology isn’t for girls, further hindering their participation (Bridging the digital gender divide | Plan International).

Multisector collaboration is crucial for overcoming these challenges. International agreements, such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), aim to improve digital infrastructure. However, some critics argue that its focus on corporate interests overshadows local needs (Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) – ISAS NUS; The IPEF Upskilling Initiative for Women and Girls – IT for Change). Meanwhile, partnerships between NGOs and the private sector, like Plan International’s work with Samsung in Latin America, have successfully delivered digital skills training to thousands of girls (Smart schools bridge digital gender divide in Latin America – Plan International). Critically, members of the African diaspora are also stepping up, launching STEM nonprofits and initiatives like EpiConsultAfrica, which offers virtual healthcare training, and creating innovative connectivity solutions using Bluetooth in places like Ghana to bypass poor infrastructure (The Crucial Need for Africa’s Daughters to Rise and Bridge the … – WTEconline; A Vision for the Future – IIE; African Digital Diasporas: Technologies, Tactics, and Trends in – Brill). Ultimately, closing the digital divide for girls requires a united front, combining resources and expertise from governments, civil society, the private sector, and diaspora communities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.