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The technology gender gap, also called the digital gender divide, is the inequality between women and men in access to and use of digital technology. It also includes differences in affordability, digital skills, online safety, and participation in technology jobs and leadership. Internet-use statistics measure only one part of this broader issue.
What does the technology gender gap mean?
The term describes connected inequalities that can affect whether someone can get online, use digital tools effectively and safely, and help shape the technology sector. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) discusses gaps in internet use, digital skills, and participation in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector; the World Bank frames the issue around access to and use of digital technologies.
There is no single universal figure for the technology gender gap unless a specific index and its measurement method are named. A statistic about internet use, for example, should not be treated as a measure of skills, safety, device affordability, or representation in technology careers.
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- Access: Whether people can connect to the internet and use devices such as phones or computers.
- Affordability: Whether devices and internet service are within reach financially.
- Use: Whether people go online and can use digital services.
- Skills: Whether people can use technology effectively and safely.
- Safety and participation: Whether online environments allow people to take part safely.
- Sector representation: Whether women participate in ICT work, leadership, and technical decision-making.
These dimensions are related, but they are not interchangeable. Having a connection does not necessarily mean a person can afford reliable service, has the skills to use it, or can participate safely.
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What do recent internet-use figures show?
In its 2025 article, the ITU reported that 70% of men and 65% of women globally used the internet in 2024, a five-percentage-point difference. For least developed countries in 2024, it reported use by 41% of men and 29% of women, a twelve-percentage-point difference. These figures describe internet use in the stated year and populations; they do not measure every dimension of the technology gender gap. The larger difference in least developed countries also shows why a global average can hide substantial variation.
Why does the gap exist?
The cited organizations identify structural and contextual barriers, not differences in inherent ability or interest. The ITU points to affordability and access to devices and connectivity, unequal skills and training, underrepresentation in ICT careers and leadership, and social, cultural, and economic constraints. The World Bank also notes that transportation and caregiving can constrain participation in some training contexts, and includes online safety in its discussion of inclusion.
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As ITU Senior Gender and Youth Advisor Sylvia Poll writes, “Gaps in digital skills and affordability of digital devices and the Internet, as well as having access to a safe online environment, continue to hinder the participation of women and girls in today’s digitalized world and in shaping tomorrow’s digital solutions.”
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Responses work best when they address the barrier involved rather than treating device access as the whole problem. The ITU and World Bank identify affordable connectivity and devices, while the ITU, World Bank, and UNESCO describe broader approaches that include:
- Digital-skills education and training.
- Inclusive policies and safer online environments.
- Support for girls’ STEM education and women’s careers in ICT.
- Gender-disaggregated data to help shape policy.
A smartphone or internet connection may address an access barrier, but neither alone resolves gaps in skills, safety, affordability, or representation.
Why does closing the gap matter?
Access paired with the skills to use ICT can open routes to education, health and financial services, employment, and markets. In a 22 May 2020 article, the ITU described these as opportunities for women and girls with internet access and ICT skills; that statement is contextual, not a current quantitative measure of outcomes.
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The definition and dimensions above draw on the ITU’s overview of the digital gender divide and the World Bank’s discussion of closing the gender gap in digital development. The 2024 internet-use figures and Poll quotation are from the ITU’s 2025 article on women’s meaningful connectivity. The contextual statement about opportunities is from the ITU’s 22 May 2020 article. UNESCO’s inclusion is reflected in its STEM and gender-equality information. The cited figures do not provide a complete current breakdown by country or by intersecting characteristics such as disability, rurality, age, income, or gender identity.
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