Facts & Figures
Throughout the past decade, researchers have been looking into the gender digital divide and its consequences for women and girls in the developing world. From the number of girls online in Asia to available bandwidth to women in Sub-Saharan Africa, plenty of data has been gathered over time. However, a lack of gender data remains in many fields. Here are some exemplary facts and figures that illustrate the case.
Access & Affordability
ITU estimates that there are some 250 million fewer women online than men.
Access & Affordability
There are 184 million fewer women owning a mobile phone than men.
Access & Affordability
Costs are featured as the second most important concern for women who are not connected.
Education & Skills Development
Girls appear to lose interest in STEM subjects with age, particularly between early and late adolescence. This lowered interest affects participation in advanced studies at secondary- level.
Education & Skills Development
The number of women studying STEM subjects has remained as low as 35% in the past 15 years.
Education & Skills Development
On average, only 3.5% of women in the 49 reporting countries can write a computer program compared to 7.8% of men who can do so.
Employment & Entrepreneurship
The data from OECD countries show that just 1.4% of total female workers have jobs that develop, maintain and operate ICT systems, compared to 5.5% of the male workers.
Employment & Entrepreneurship
Women make up only 21.5% of the digital workforce in Europe.
Employment & Entrepreneurship
Leadership & Policy
Worldwide, only 27 countries have a woman ICT minister and only 26 have a woman heading the telecom regulator.
Leadership & Policy
GSMA research shows that in all regions, women were employed in much larger proportions as entry level staff, compared to middle and senior management positions.
Leadership & Policy
The overall global gender gap will close in 108 years.