-- New Report Shows Worrying Slow-down in Digital Inclusion for Women in Low- 
and Middle-Income Countries.

The expansion of mobile internet access in low- and middle-income countries 
(LMICs) is continuing at pace, but risks leaving women further behind, 
according to new analysis published today by the GSMA.

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The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022 ( 
https://www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap/?utm_source=gsma&utm_medium=press-release&utm_campaign=gender-gap-2022 
) shows that after years of progress towards women's equal digital inclusion 
across LMICs, only 59 million additional women in LMICs started using mobile 
internet in 2021 compared to 110 million in 2020.

This recent slowdown in the growth rate at which women are adopting the mobile 
internet across LMICs is in contrast with continued high growth rates for men. 
It represents the first time GSMA data has recorded such a negative trend.

Across LMICs, the report shows that the mobile internet gender gap has narrowed 
every year from 2017 to 2020, from 25 per cent to 15 per cent. However, GSMA 
data from 2021 suggests that this momentum has been lost. Women are now 16 per 
cent less likely than men to use the mobile internet, which equates to 264 
million fewer women than men using mobile internet.

In South Asia, traditionally the region with the widest mobile gender gap, this 
rebound has been even more stark. The mobile internet gender gap had narrowed 
significantly, from 67 per cent in 2017 to 36 per cent in 2020, but has now 
widened to 41 per cent.

GSMA Director General Mats Granryd said: "For decades, mobile internet has been 
transforming the lives of women across the globe, especially in low- and 
middle-income countries. But the worrying statistics in our Mobile Gender Gap 
Report 2022 show that far more needs to be done to prevent women being left 
behind in the digital economy. Institutions, corporations and governments 
around the world need to focus on the importance of inclusion, and actively 
seek to combat such inequalities. The GSMA is committed to working with mobile 
operators and governmental stakeholders to address this negative trend and 
ensure that women do not miss out on the transformative power of mobile 
technology, wherever they live in the world."

These findings are particularly significant, since mobile remains the primary 
way women access the internet across LMICs, and the benefits of internet 
connectivity can be life-changing. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has 
demonstrated the importance of mobiles as a valuable tool for helping women 
access health information, stay connected to their families during lockdowns, 
continue income-generating opportunities and access government support.

Industry action

The GSMA introduced the Connected Women Commitment Initiative in 2016 to 
catalyse action to close the mobile gender gap. Over this time, over 40 mobile 
operators across Africa, Asia and Latin America have made formal commitments to 
accelerate digital and financial inclusion for women. These operators have 
already reached more than 55 million additional women with mobile internet or 
mobile money services.

However, mobile operators cannot work in isolation. The mobile gender gap is a 
significant global issue, requiring attention from all stakeholders to ensure 
women and their families can reap the full benefits of connectivity. In total, 
only 60% of women in LMICs now use the mobile internet, compared to 71% of men.

The annual GSMA Mobile Gender Gap report is funded by the UK Foreign, 
Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International 
Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) via the GSMA Mobile for Development 
Foundation. It plays an important role in sizing the mobile gender gap and 
generating regional and country-level data to draw attention to this issue, as 
well as providing key evidence to inform action from stakeholders.

This year's findings demonstrate the importance of continuing to collect data 
to understand the issue and address the key barriers preventing women from 
accessing and benefiting from mobile internet, including affordability, digital 
skills, and social norms that inhibit women's access and use of mobile 
technology.

It is only with the concerted action and collaboration of different 
stakeholders that we can truly accelerate progress on this issue, and ensure 
that gender inequalities are not further entrenched.

The GSMA's Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022 is available at: 
https://www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap/

Further information on the Connected Women Commitment Initiative can be found 
at: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/connected-women/the-commitment/

About GSMA

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, 
develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments 
and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so 
that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and 
organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA 
delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, 
Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing 
policy, tackling today's biggest societal challenges, underpinning the 
technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the 
world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 
series of events.

We invite you to find out more at gsma.com ( https://www.gsma.com/ )

About GSMA Connected Women

The GSMA's Connected Women programme works with mobile operators and their 
partners to address the barriers to women accessing and using mobile internet 
and mobile money services. Connected Women aims to reduce the gender gap in 
mobile internet and mobile money services and unlock significant commercial 
opportunities for the mobile industry and socio-economic benefits for women.

This report is the output of a GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation project 
funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the 
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The views 
expressed are not necessarily those of either organisation.

For more information, please visit www.gsma.com/connectedwomen

SOURCE GSMA