To address the challenges women face in accessing digital technology a comprehensive approach including enhancing digital literacy, improving affordability, investing in relevant content and services, ensuring online safety, and challenging prevailing social norms is required, says the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The Authority has drafted ‘Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy’ which noted that the digital gender divide, referring to the gap between men and women in access to digital technologies, remains a significant challenge, exacerbated by structural inequalities and social norms that affect education and income disparities between genders.
The Authority has formulated the strategy in response to the gender digital divide.
In Pakistan, mobile technology is the primary means of accessing the internet for both men and women. However, despite the rapid growth of mobile technology, women in Pakistan continue to lag behind in mobile phone ownership and usage.
The GSMA’s Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022 highlights that women in Pakistan are 33 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone and 38 percent less likely to use mobile internet. The barriers preventing women from accessing and utilizing mobile phones and the internet are multifaceted and interconnected.
As a part of the strategy development process, surveys, interviews and consultations were held which noted the concerns regarding the affordability of digital technologies. Over half of the respondents perceived handsets, mobile services, and the Internet as somewhat affordable.
However, 36 percent found mobile handsets unaffordable, indicating the need for more affordable options for the population, especially those with lower incomes.
Women were more likely to perceive mobile handsets, mobile packages, and the internet as unaffordable, indicating that they face greater financial constraints in accessing these technologies.
A substantial gender difference was observed in the primary reasons for internet use. Women primarily use the internet to connect with family and friends (44 percent), while only 24 percent of men cited the same reason.
A concerning finding was that a significant proportion of respondents believed that women should only “sometimes” be allowed to use mobile phones and the Internet. In some cases, 16 percent of female respondents and 23 percent of male respondents believed that women should not use mobile phones at all. Attitudes toward women’s internet use mirrored these trends.
Access to networks, handsets, formal identification documents (IDs), sales agents, training, and electricity emerged as significant challenges. Without reliable electricity, women face limitations in charging digital devices, hindering their ability to benefit from technology. In rural areas, network coverage remains a challenge.
Many women lack the official IDs required for registering SIM cards and mobile services, often due to the necessity of interacting with men.
Furthermore, the lack of Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) among women restricts their access to online resources, as many services require CNIC verification. These technical barriers are interwoven with other challenges, such as patriarchal controls and financial constraints. The absence of local language content and services also contributes to access difficulties.
Affordability, especially of handsets, is a primary obstacle to mobile ownership, impacting both men and women in Pakistan. Women, due to lower incomes, reduced access to external financial resources, and financial dependence on men, experience having affordability challenges more acutely. Many women rely on shared devices due to financial constraints, creating a power dynamic where men control and monitor women’s technology use.
Taxation on telecommunication services which increases costs for companies and consumers, particularly affects women due to their lower incomes and financial independence. This taxation, coupled with the lack of recognition and support for the telecommunications sector, raises prices for telecommunications services.