Ensuring digital education and educational routes for girls and women
Digital technologies have enormous potential to overcome inequalities and to provide educational opportunities for people previously prevented from gaining an education.x New teaching and learning methods, business models and types of job are emerging as part of the digital transformation.
In the labour market of the future, digital skills such as programming and tech skills as well as creativity are crucial. However, people in developing countries are especially at risk of not benefiting from the opportunities of the digital transformation. In many places, the basic infrastructure for digitalisation is insufficient. Internet access is also unequally distributed among populations and between the sexes.
Differences in access and use of digital technologies:
- Worldwide, 250 million fewer women than men have access to the internet.
- Women are 25 per cent less likely than men to use digital technologies for basic purposes. x This "gender digital divide" means that women have less access to information and education.
- According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the digital divide between men and women has widened since 2013, increasing from 11 per cent in 2013 to 17 per cent in 2019. In the world's least developed countries, the gap is even greater at 43 per cent. x
- The digital divide is not just a question of access to infrastructure and technology, but also a question of digital skills. Women are often restricted from acquiring such skills due to a variety of socio-cultural factors. Consequently, women are four times less likely to have programming skills than men. x
Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede Internetzugang
Wahrscheinlichkeit der Nutzung digitaler Technologien
Men
Women
Gender digital divide
Consequences of the digital gender divide
The digital gender divide has a negative impact on women participating socially, economically and politically. It is therefore essential to give women and girls and LGBTIQ* persons better access to the digital world and educational opportunities. This is especially applicable when such persons are affected by multiple disadvantages, for example, when they are refugees, religious minorities or persons with disabilities.
As part of the German G20 presidency in 2017, the BMZ launched the #eSkills4Girls initiative (opens in a new window). The initiative aims to close the digital gender gap and promote the educational and employment prospects of women and girls in an increasingly digitalised world. x
Key messages of #eSkills4Girls:
- Education is a contributory factor in achieving any development goal. Education boosts economic growth, reduces poverty and inequality, and strengthens peace and security. Education enables girls, boys and LGBTIQ* persons to lead healthy and self-determined lives.
- Education can promote gender equality: gender-sensitive learning content and methods can change discriminatory attitudes and the discriminatory apportioning of roles as well as reduce gender-specific disadvantages. Better access for women to education and vocational training increases their opportunities to participate politically, economically and socially.
Footnotes
- Source: #eSkills4Girls -Eine Initiative zur Förderung digitaler Kompetenzen von Frauen und Mädchen (opens in a new window)
- Source: EQUALS (2019) I ́d blush if I could. Closing Gender Divides in Digital Skills through Education
- Source: ITU (2019) Measuring Digital Development. Facts and Figures 2019
- Source: EQUALS (2019) I ́d blush if I could. Closing Gender Divides in Digital Skills through Education
- Source: #eSkills4Girls -Eine Initiative zur Förderung digitaler Kompetenzen von Frauen und Mädchen (opens in a new window)