IGF 2023 Lightning Talk #118 Measuring Gender Digital Inequality in the Global South

Session(active tab)
Report

Session

Time

Monday, 9th October, 2023 (06:20 UTC) - Monday, 9th October, 2023 (06:50 UTC)

Room

SC – Room H

Subtheme

Digital Divides & Inclusion
Gender Digital Divide

Theme

Digital Divides & Inclusion

Moon Choi, KAIST
So Young Kim, KAIST
Christopher Yoo, University of Pennsylvania
Maria Garrido, University of Washington
Allison Gillwald, Research ICT Africa
Taylor De Rosa, KAIST
Ern Chern Khor, KAIST
Dasom Lee, KAIST
Carla Licciardello, ITU
Lilian Volcan, University of Oxford
Tavishi Ahluwalia, National Law University Delhi
Sisa Ngabaza, University of the Western Cape
Tamara Dancheva, GSMA
Gloria Bonder, Latin American Postgraduate Institute of Social Sciences (FLACSO)
Ayanna Samuels, Oslo Met
Michelle F. Settecase, EY
Naima Hassan, Government of Somalia
Ayesha Zainudeen, LIRNEAsia
Helani Galpaya, LIRNEAsia
Javiera Macaya, CETIC
Molly Lesher, OECD
Leon Gwaka, University of Pennsylvania
Sindhura KS, University of Pennsylvania
Michael Best, Georgia Institute of Technology
Leslie Dwolatzky, Georgia Institute of Technology

Organization's Website

https://www.equalsintech.org

Speakers

Christopher Yoo, University of Pennsylvania
Maria Garrido, University of Washington
Allison Gillwald, Research ICT Africa

Onsite Moderator

So Young Kim, KAIST

Online Moderator

Taylor De Rosa

Rapporteur

Ern Chern Khor

SDGs

4.1
4.3
4.4
4.7
5.5
5.b
9.1
9.b
9.c
10.2
10.4
17.14
17.8
17.9

Targets: This session is expected to produce a set of recommendations for policymakers and industry leaders on how to increase gender equality in advanced technology fields. The key insights and recommendations from the session can contribute to part of EQUALS annual report. Additionally, we hope to establish a network of professionals interested in advancing gender equality in advanced technology fields, who can continue to collaborate and share best practices after the session. This session is closely related to the SDG 5 , SDG 9 , SDG 10 , SDG 4 , and SDG 17

Format

This session consists of three parts. (1) Introduction about EQUALS (5 minutes) (2) Four brief presentations (20 minutes) (3) Q&As (5 minutes)

Duration (minutes)

Language

English

Description

The gender digital divide, one of the most significant gender divides in our world today, holds back women and gender minorities from fully participating in the financial, social, educational, and health resources of the digital world. Gender equality in terms of digital access, skills, and leadership can only be fully understood and addressed through internationally comparable, sex-disaggregated data. However, there is a severe lack of official sex-disaggregated and gender data on most ICT-related topics, especially in countries located in the Global South where gender inequality is the most severe. This lightning talk session will bring together practitioners and researchers from the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age to discuss the challenges associated with and strategies for addressing the collection and governance of sex-disaggregated and gender-sensitive data, with a focus on the Global South.

Building on the EQUALS 2021 Sex-Disaggregated ICT Data in Africa report, three experts representing diverse regions and experiences will discuss common challenges shared across regions, as well as context- and region-specific barriers associated with collecting and monitoring sex-disaggregated and gender-sensitive ICT data in the Global South. Presenters will also share strategies and best practices for implementing data collection of key ICT indicators.

The goal of this session is to underscore the importance of measurement in addressing gender digital inclusion and share resources that can be used to implement policies, surveys, and other tools to collect gender ICT data. Although many challenges associated with measuring the gender digital divide are region-specific, it is hoped that this session can provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to connect and share knowledge that can be transferred across contexts.

Report

Key Takeaways (* deadline at the end of the session day)

Although there have been improvements in reducing the gender digital divide, progress is still quite slow when considering SDG gender equality targets, especially in the global south. Higher-quality data, both quantitative and qualitative, are imperative for understanding the multidimensional aspects of the gender digital divide.

We must consider contextual differences when interpreting gender digital divide data across countries. There are challenges in understanding the underlying mechanisms and reasons behind all of the results, but research is ongoing, especially through the EQUALS Global Partnership.

Call to Action (* deadline at the end of the session day)

Good-quality, nationally representative data on digital use by gender, including non-binary identities, is needed across countries, especially in the global south. It is important to track historical data to measure progress.

Findings from data across different countries should be interpreted carefully by considering variations in social context. In addition to quantitative data, qualitative data should be collected for this purpose.

Session Report (* deadline 9 January) - click on the ? symbol for instructions

Post-Session Report: Measuring Gender Digital Inequality in the Global South

Lightning Talks

October 9, 2023

Internet Governance Forum, Kyoto, Japan

At this lightning talk session, three experts, representing diverse regions and experiences, shared their recent research findings on understanding the gender digital divide in the Global South. This session underscored the importance of quality measurement in addressing gender digital inclusion. Through their presentations, the researchers shared strategies and resources that can be used to implement policies, surveys, and other tools to collect gender ICT data. Although many challenges associated with measuring the gender digital divide are region-specific, it is hoped that this session provided a platform for researchers and practitioners to connect and share knowledge that can be transferred across contexts.

Moderator

Dr. So Young Kim, KAIST

Speakers

Dr. Alison Gillwald, Research ICT Africa

Dr. Christopher Yoo, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Maria Garrido, University of Washington

Dr. Matias Centeno, National Institute of Agriculture Technology, Argentina

Key takeaways

Although there have been improvements in reducing the gender digital divide, progress is still quite slow when considering SDG gender equality targets, especially in the global south. Higher-quality data, both quantitative and qualitative, are imperative for understanding the multidimensional aspects of the gender digital divide.
We must consider contextual differences when interpreting gender digital divide data across countries. There are challenges in understanding the underlying mechanisms and reasons behind all of the results, but research is ongoing, especially through the EQUALS Global Partnership.

Lightning Talk 1: Gender Digital Inequality in Africa

Alison Gillwald, PhD

Executive Director, Research ICT Africa and Professor, University of Cape Town Nelson Mandela School of Governance

https://researchictafrica.net/

Key points

Fundamental data is needed for developing evidence-based policy. The After Access Surveys aim to fill the gap in basic data collection across countries in Africa.
Significant gender gaps in Africa reflect and have the potential to exacerbate underlying structural and intersectional inequalities. Women are not a homogenous group. Gender inequalities clearly intersect with inequalities in other segments of the population.
It is also important to consider the third-level digital divide. Once online, women also appear more restricted than men in the uses of digital technologies and the benefits they can derive from using them.

Lightning Talk 2: The Impact of Mobile Internet Uptake and Use in Bangladesh and Ghana

Christopher Yoo, PhD

John H. Chestnut Professor of Law and Founding Director of Center for Technology, Innovation & Competition, University of Pennsylvania

https://www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/ctic/

Key points

Qualitative and quantitative study in Bangladesh and Ghana assessing the impact of mobile internet connectivity on socioeconomic well-being showed the importance of cultural context.
Different types of mobile internet use provided more benefits for women’s wellbeing in each country. Overall, women faced greater criticism for their Internet use compared to men, and were more likely to be unhappy with their internet use.
Future longitudinal research will examine the impacts of coming online for women in Bangladesh.

Lightning Talk 3: The State of Inclusive Connectivity & Meaningful Access to Information

Maria Garrido, PhD

Principal Research Scientist, Technology & Social Change Group of University of Washington

https://tascha.uw.edu/

Matias Centeno, PhD

Principal Research Scientist at the National Institute of Agriculture Technology, Argentina

Key points

The Development and Access to Information (DA2i) dashboards demonstrate how inclusive connectivity and meaningful access to information contributes to development, and is embedded across the UN 2030 Agenda (https://da2i-dashboards.org/).
Between 2015 and 2022, connectivity has improved but still drags behind 2030 targets, gender equity has made slow and weak progress, and civil rights and political freedoms have declined.
In order to assess progress, we need better, more quality data tracked historically.