Telecom Lead America: Across the developing world nearly 25 percent fewer women than men have access to the Internet, according to an Intel report.
The woman-man gender gap soars to nearly 45 percent in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa. One in five women in India and Egypt believes the Internet is not appropriate for them, according to the report.
READ MORE: See the full report
The report issues a call to action to double the number of women and girls online in developing countries from 600 million today to 1.2 billion in 3 years.
“This study demonstrates the enormity of the global Internet gender gap and more importantly, identifies specific ways the public, private and civil society sectors can work together to dramatically increase Internet access for women and girls,” said Shelly Esque, vice president of Intel’s Corporate Affairs Group and president of the Intel Foundation.
Seeing another 600 million women online would mean that 40 percent of women and girls in developing countries — nearly double the share today — would have access to the transformative power of the Internet. This goal, if realized, could potentially contribute an estimated $13 billion to $18 billion to annual GDP across 144 developing countries.
The report’s findings are based on interviews and surveys of 2,200 women and girls living in urban and peri-urban areas of four focus countries: Egypt, India, Mexico and Uganda, as well as analyses of global databases.
One in five women in India and Egypt believes the Internet is not “appropriate” for them. On average across the developing world, nearly 25 percent fewer women than men have access to the Internet, and the gender gap soars to nearly 45 percent in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.
Across the surveyed countries, nearly half of respondents used the Web to search for and apply for a job, and 30 percent had used the Internet to earn additional income.
More than 70 percent of Internet users considered the Internet liberating and 85 percent said it provides more freedom.
Seeing another 600 million women online would mean that 40 percent of women and girls in developing countries, nearly double the share today, would have access to the transformative power of the Internet. And, it could potentially contribute an estimated US$13 billion to $18 billion to annual GDP across 144 developing countries.
