Thread by @SaeedRizvan

Digital Gender Divide
A Thread
Digital space is expanding in Pakistan but this expansion is not gender-equal. Pakistan is among countries where gender gap is the highest regarding mobile phone ownership and mobile internet use. Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS 2018) 1/11

is a government survey that is conducted regularly to see progress in demographic areas. It has a section that captured digital divide among men and women of Pakistan. According to latest PDHS, only 12% of the surveyed women, aged 15-49, used internet during last 2/11

twelve months. While 28% men reported internet use during the same period. This disparity was higher in rural areas. In urban areas 22% of women and 40% men used internet. While in rural areas only 7% women reported use of 3/11

internet as compared to 21% men. According to GSMA Report 2020, among adult population of Pakistan, 81% men while 50% women own a cell phone. Among women mobile owners, only 20% has smart phone while 37% men have smart phones. This disparity 4/11

translates into mobile internet use too. Statistics about women’s ownership of mobile phones are corroborated by findings of PDHS 2018 too where it was reported that 47% women owned a mobile phone. 5/11

Common barriers to women’s inclusion into digital world are affordability, literacy and digital skills. Due to lack of financial independence and economic opportunities women cannot afford to buy a simple mobile or smart phone that can connect them to global and national 6/11

digital world. Likewise, lack of literacy and digital skills are affecting women’s access to Network society and information economy.

Beyond affordability and digital skills, women have to face additional barrier of patriarchal family norms in accessing internet and 7/11

owning a mobile phone. Actually this is the biggest challenge for women in Pakistan. GSMA 2020 study reveals that 29% women mentioned that they had a mobile phone but could not go online due to lack of family’s approval. On the other hand, only 2% men mobile users 8/11

reported this kind of family’s disapproval. 38% women who had no mobile phones highlighted strict family restrictions a reason not to have a mobile phone. The worst part is, the severity of male-controlled restrictions is increasing by the time. However, there is increased 9/11

progression in women’s mobile use awareness. This awareness increased from 39% in 2017 to 70% in 2019. If this positive development is not tapped, it may increase frustration among women who have mobile and internet use awareness but cannot do so because of patriarchal 10/11

oppressive controls. Without addressing the issues of patriarchal norms and women’s financial independence it is hard to reduce digital gender gap in Pakistan and globally. 11/11
#DigitalLiteracy
#DigitalGenderDivide
#WomensDay