Currently there is an 87% internet use gender gap as per the Affordability Drivers Index(ADI) scores and ranks. These are based on the in-depth analysis of communications, infrastructure, access and affordability indicators. So far, the online population in least developed countries is at 17% while 4G network coverage is at 41% reports the International Telecommunication Union.
ADIs collect information based on systems thinking about the cost of internet access to people and how that is crippling internet access. In line with the gender gap, it is evident that there is a 10% increment in the percentage of women than men using the internet globally.
This brings the global internet user gap to 17%, whereas the gap is small in developed countries and large in large in especially Large Developing Countries.
While the growth rate has been growing in Africa and Asia, it has been shrinking in the CIS Countries and Europe.
According to Alliance for Affordable Internet in their 2020 edition of the Affordability report, “Given the Covid 19 pandemic, which has exposed the shocking inequalities in internet access and affordability across the globe, the need to bridge the global digital divide has never been more important.”
The governments therefore of the least developed countries are learning to prioritize finding innovative solutions to challenges in all sectors including economic resilience which directly affects the online population, network coverage and the internet use gender gap.
Although Africa has the lowest average ADI scores, it shows the fastest improvement with countries planning better and improving the spectrum management in line with supporting programmes to reduce the internet gender use gap.
According to the 2020 Affordability report, there is improvement in the broadband policies leading to reduced data prices hence more internet accessibility.
“Mobile broadband prices have fallen consistently among countries within the ADI with the average cost of 1GB of data declining by more than half since 2015,” according to the report.