WORLD BANK GROUP GENDER THEMATIC POLICY NOTES SERIES: ISSUES AND PRACTICE NOTE INCREASING ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY FOR INCLUSION Clara Aranda-Jan, Qursum Qasim OVERVIEW Digital technology has introduced innovative business models and changed how society operates. Through digital technology, access to services can be increased and more people can be reached, particularly those from underserved groups, such as women, people in rural communities and persons with disabilities. Yet, gaps in access to digital technology deepen inequalities and have social costs and economic implications. have lost out on $1 trillion in GDP due to the digital exclusion of women. (Alliance for Affordable Internet, 2021). Grounded in examples extracted from research and World Bank Group operations with client countries and clients in the private sector, this policy note presents interventions that aim to close the gaps in digital inclusion. These examples demonstrate that the public and private sectors have significant roles to play in ensuring digital technology reaches women, aligns to their needs, and strengthens their economic empowerment. This policy note provides impetus for the World Bank Group to continue strengthening its work on the digital inclusion of women and underserved groups. FEBRUARY 2023 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Defining digital inclusion and equity 3 The need for gender-responsive digital policy and legal frameworks 4 The business value of addressing the digital inclusion gaps 5 CLOSING THE DIGITAL GENDER GAP: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 6 Digital infrastructure 6 Digital skills 8 Digital businesses 10 Digital public platforms 12 Digital finance 14 Online safety and security 16 Social norms 16 Algorithmic biases amid the rise of AI 17 Lack of sex-disaggregated data 18 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WORLD BANK GROUP OPERATIONAL AND ANALYTICAL ACTIVITIES 19 Include gender gaps in digital inclusion in new and existing analytics 19 Strengthen the holistic nature of projects to reduce gender gaps in digital inclusion 20 Address social norms that restrict women’s digital inclusion 21 Support women’s participation and leadership in the tech sector 21 Invest in digitalization of women-dominated value chains and sectors 21 References 23 This note is part of a series that provides an analytical foundation for the update to the World Bank Group Gender Strategy (FY24–30). This series seeks to give a broad overview of the latest research and findings on gender equality outcomes and summarize key thematic issues, evidence on promising solutions, operational good practices, and key areas for future engagement on promoting gender equality and empowerment. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work are entirely those of the author(s). They do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank Group or its Board of Directors. This note is a product of collaboration between the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank. It was prepared by Clara Aranda from IFC and Qursum Qasim from the World Bank, in close collaboration with Jaylan Elshazly and with guidance from Heather Kipnis, Priyanka Tayal, and Carol Tojeiro from IFC. Additional support and inputs were provided by Laurien Field, Alicia Hammond, Leora Klapper, Liliana Olarte, Felicia Siegrist, Farid Tadros and Desiree Zwanck. Leslie Ashby from the World Bank was the copyeditor of this note. We are grateful for the inputs provided by Claire Sibthrope from the GSMA Mobile for Development. 2 INTRODUCTION Digital technologies are the building blocks of a new, rapidly that often prevent women from entering the labor market changing world. Over the past few decades, progress (Lechman & Paradowki, 2021; Anwar, 2022). Many women in basic internet services, automation, digital financial join the digital economy as it provides opportunities to services and social media have changed fundamentally generate income, often in the formal economy, and to gain human interaction, including how women participate in new productive skills, including digital and professional the global economy. skills. Digital technology can also enable access to financial services, such as mobile money. In some emerging The sharp increase in the uptake of digital technology markets, where paid work is a critical solution to eliminate during the COVID-19 pandemic provided a clear example gender disparities, many women use digital platforms of technology’s potential and risks. With restrictions as a primary source of income (Anwar, 2022). There are on movement and social interactions, governments barriers to the digital inclusion of women that limit their and organizations accelerated technology adoption participation in the digital economy, as discussed later in (Amankwah-Amoah, Khan, Wood, & Knight, 2021). this paper; yet, increasing women’s participation in the Digitalization allowed for continuity in providing people labor market through digital technology contributes to access to work, education, and health care services. In more inclusive and equitable societies and to economic some sectors, the acceleration in digitalization brought growth. Women’s economic empowerment translates into great benefits. E-commerce’s share of global retail trade their capacity to make their own choices and contributes rose from 9.5 percent in 2019 to about 12.4 percent in 2020 the redistribution of economic power between genders and revenues increased by 50 percent in some regions, (Lechman & Paradowki, 2021). such as the Middle East and North Africa (Katz & Jung, 2021). Digital technology is also generating large amounts of data. Connectivity and access to the internet became Digitally enabled forms of identification, for instance, can indispensable during the pandemic. The UN’s International help those who lack an official identification to access Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that internet services offered by governments and the private sector. It traffic worldwide increased by approximately 30 percent can also help service providers to access customer or user during the pandemic and the global penetration of data to improve the delivery of services (Dahan & Sudan, broadband increased by 10 percent, with a significant 2015). Women in emerging markets are using digital IDs to increase in households adopting fixed broadband in all open digital financial account and accessing government regions of the world (Katz & Jung, 2021). Still, many had services. As the lack of sex-disaggregated data is a critical poor or no access to the internet, meaning digitalization barrier to achieve progress towards gender equality, digital excluded them further (Beaunoyer, Dupéré, & Guitton, technology creates new avenues to generating data that 2020; ITU, 2022). can help identify where the gender gaps exist for public and private service providers. By generating better and Digital technology has introduced innovative business more accurate data, policy and decision-makers can take models and changed how society operates. Digital informed actions to address gender inequalities. technology has expanded access to economic opportunities and new ways to provide access to services Yet, as much as it can act as an equalizer, digital technology such as education, healthcare, and information, particularly can exacerbate existing inequalities due to prevailing to those from underserved groups and who are harder to gaps in access and availability. Furthermore, it can also reach, such as women, people in rural communities, and pose risks to the population, such as gender-based online persons with disabilities. As digital technology restructures violence and harassment1 (Hinson, Mueller , O’Brien-Milne, the labor market and consumption patterns, technology & Wandera, 2018). The risks can undermine the expected helps break existing social norms and gender stereotypes positive effects of digitalization, particularly for underserved 1  echnology-facilitated gender-based violence is an action by one or more people to harm others based on their sexual or gender T identity or enforcing harmful gender norms. Source: Hinson, L., 2018. 1 groups. Women are disproportionally and increasingly This note is grounded in examples extracted from research affected by online abuse, and those who experience online and World Bank Group operations with client countries harassment may be pushed to leave their digital jobs or and clients in the private sector. The interventions are digital spaces (Hammond, Robinson, & Munoz, 2022; Wang organized using the World Bank’s pillars of the digital & Affoun, 2021). In addition, accessing digital technologies economy—including, digital infrastructures, digital skills, can expose people to fraud and cybersecurity threats, digital business, digital public platforms, digital public and data breaches while also codifying existing biases platforms and trust environment (such as online safety and through ostensibly ’neutral’ algorithms (Noble, 2018). This security)—as well as other additional areas identified during is concerning as people’s protected characteristics may the development of this note (such as social norms and the be exposed and suffer discrimination as result. There is an lack of sex-disaggregated data). Due to the early stage of urgent need for policy action to ensure that the future of most digital interventions, this brief does not evaluate their digitalization does not continue to exclude underserved effectiveness and indeed measurement of effectiveness is groups and that it does not cause more harm than good an area where more work is needed. It is also important to society. to note that, overall, the World Bank Group portfolio on digital development remains primarily focused on hard This policy note presents interventions that aim to close infrastructure with a growing, but still limited, portfolio of the gaps in digital inclusion. While the main focus is operations and investments in the digital economy and on digital technologies that enable connectivity and integrating digital solutions across the portfolio of WBG access and use of internet-enabled devices and digital interventions. The pool of interventions that explicitly focus platforms, the note also covers emerging topics on the on inclusive digital technologies is relatively small, but implementation of frontier technologies, such as big there is a strategic opportunity to scale up the enabling role data and artificial intelligence (AI). These emerging of digital technologies in World Bank Group analytics and technologies are increasingly being used in the development operations, especially at the country and regional levels. sector and risk further excluding underrepresented and The brief concludes with a list of key recommendations for underserved groups. Bank Group operational and analytical activities. 2 Defining digital inclusion and equity Availability of digital services, products, and relevant • content provided by private and public organizations The UN Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on for work, social, and civic engagement Technology defines digital inclusion as “equitable, meaningful, and safe access to use, lead, and design of Supportive ecosystems, including legal and policy • digital technologies, services, and associated opportunities frameworks, to address gaps in affordability, for everyone, everywhere” (United Nations, n.d.). Digital identification, and financial inclusion equity refers to the context in which all people have the capacity and opportunity for full participation in the digital Trustworthy and safe digital environment that is free • economy. Digital equity is an equally important aspect of harassment of inclusion, and some of its key dimensions include the Digital inclusion and equity vary greatly across regions and following (Digital Future Society, 2019): countries (see Figure 1). In Africa, for instance, the average • Access to quality and affordable infrastructure (i.e., cost of 1 gigabyte (GB) of mobile internet is 8.8 percent of electricity and internet) and digital devices income while in Latin America and the Caribbean this is 3.6 percent of income (Alliance for Affordable Internet, 2021). Awareness and digital skills (basic and advanced), as well • as literacy and entrepreneurship FIGURE 1. AFFORDABILITY OF 1GB OF DATA AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS NATIONAL INCOME PER CAPITA Source: Alliance for Affordable Internet 3 Although access to digital technology seems ubiquitous, For example, a study of three commercial gender more than a third of the global population was offline in classification systems showed that the systems performed 2021 (ITU, 2021). Gender, geographical location, income and best for identifying lighter-skinned individuals and worst education level, and disability seem to correlate to access for darker women (Buolamwini & Gebru, 2018). This is a and use of digital technologies. Globally, women are 21 group often underrepresented in benchmark datasets. percent less likely than men to access the internet (Iglesias, Some of the biases in data algorithms result from the 2020). Regarding accessing the internet through mobile lack of diversity and representation in the sector (Mateos- phones, women remain 7 percent less likely than men to Garcia & John, 2019; Smith & Rustagi, 2021). own a mobile phone and are 16 percent less likely to use mobile internet (Shanahan, 2022). Furthermore, progress Finally, social norms constrain women’s access to and usage in addressing the mobile internet gender gap in emerging of digital technologies. In Malawi, for example, schoolgirls markets has stalled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, are largely prevented from using smartphones due to a which disproportionately impacted women’s incomes social perception that, in doing so, their reputation would (Shanahan, 2022). be compromised. In India, a study found that even when women were allowed to use smartphones, they could only Other groups experience similar gaps. While data is limited, speak to family compared to men who were able to use evidence from some low and middle-income countries them for work, entertainment, and socializing (Scott, et al., indicates that people with disabilities are less likely to be 2021). To address social norms that restrict women’s access owners of mobile phones and users of mobile internet to digital technologies, customized approaches are needed (Aranda-Jan, 2021). Women with disabilities are particularly to develop coalitions with local leaders and engage with at a disadvantage (Aranda-Jan & Shanahan, 2020). People household dynamics. with low income and education levels and those living in rural areas are also often digitally excluded due to the costs The need for gender-responsive digital policy of expanding rural connectivity, lack of digital literacy, and and legal frameworks skill and affordability issues. For example, according to the In many regions, information and communications GSMA, those in the bottom quintile in terms of income are technology (ICT) and digital policies have not been 49 percent less likely to access mobile internet than those developed to include the perspectives of women and in the top quintile (Delaporte & Bahia, 2022). underserved groups. These policies are meant to speed Although mobile ownership is important, it is critical that up digitalization as a value neutral concept, but they may phones enable access to the internet. Smartphones are exacerbate further digital exclusion (World Wide Web important drivers of mobile internet use. For most people, Foundation, 2022). Examples include limited investments they are the primary way to access the internet, but the in digital infrastructure that tend to be concentrated access gaps in smartphone ownership are wider than that in urban areas, the lack of competitive digital services’ for basic or feature phones. For instance, globally, women markets, taxes on enabling digital services, and duties on the are 18 percent less likely to own a smartphone than men import of devices. These all constrain market development (Shanahan, 2022). People with disabilities also have less of the digital economy which disproportionately access to smartphones. In Kenya, for instance, the mobile affects underserved groups and, in particular, women disability gap is 11 percent while in Bangladesh, it is as high (Clifford, 2020). as 55 percent (Aranda-Jan, 2021). In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, Furthermore, with increasing applications of frontier taxes on mobile money withdrawals or digital services technologies, such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI) prohibit uptake of digital services, particularly for low- and machine learning, there are emerging risks that, if not income women. In a situation where devices or services addressed, could expose vulnerable communities and are expensive, women are often last in line for access exclude underserved groups further. These technologies and must rely on the men in the household to access use algorithms to make decisions based on training data services. These policy decisions on taxing mobile money to support human decision making, reducing biases and withdrawals (where withdrawals from banks are not subjectivity. Yet, biases can creep into the design of analytical taxed) actively disincentivize the use of digital financial algorithms. It has been well-documented how the use of AI services. Achieving equal access to digital technology for for decision making can result in algorithm discrimination. men and women requires gender-responsive policies and frameworks for ICT and digital technologies that consider the needs of women and underserved groups (World Wide Web Foundation, 2022). 4 Data protection legislation is increasingly an area where The business value of addressing the digital additional policy support is needed to protect vulnerable inclusion gaps populations. According to UNCTAD (2021), 71 percent of It is imperative to close digital divides to deliver on countries worldwide have some data protection legislation the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. in place, although implementation and enforcement vary Leaving no one behind means that everyone should be greatly. Uneven implementation, combined with gaps in able to enjoy connectivity (ITU, 2022). The gaps in access cross-border alignment of legislation, reduces efficacy. Even deepen inequalities and have social costs and economic in jurisdictions where legislation is being implemented, implications. Countries have lost out on $1 trillion in overall gender gaps in access to the justice system GDP due to the digital exclusion of women (Alliance for and gaps in its efficacy mean that ostensibly equitable Affordable Internet, 2021). legislation is not implemented equitably. For women, issues like reproductive privacy may be compromised by There are also benefits of addressing the gaps in access for participation in the digital space. Even the Global Privacy specific economic sectors. Closing the mobile gender gap Assembly, which first met as the International Conference could add $700 billion in GDP growth by 2023 (Rowntree, of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC) 2019). The International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates and comprises representatives from 122 jurisdictions, does that between 2025 and 2030, the market for e-commerce not have any dedicated research or resolutions relating to could increase by nearly $300 billion if the gaps in sales women (Coombs & McKee, 2019). More dedicated research between men and women vendors are closed in Southeast is needed to understand the impact of existing legislation Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IFC, 2021). IFC research also on women’s digital safety and resolve issues. suggests that if participation gaps in online learning between women and men learners in emerging markets were closed, the global value of the online learning market could grow up to an additional $14 billion by 2026. This research also indicates that one job is created for every 30 people trained online in the four focus countries studied: Egypt, India, Mexico, and Nigeria. 5 CLOSING THE DIGITAL GENDER GAP: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Emerging evidence and operational experience point to Expanding connectivity can reduce poverty and increase several challenges and opportunities in closing the digital consumer welfare and women’s labor force participation. gender gap. They lay in improving digital infrastructure Evidence shows that increasing mobile broadband and users’ digital skills, enhancing digital business, public connectivity can help reduce poverty in the long term. platforms and finance mechanisms, and strengthening Women, in particular, stand to benefit with greater online safety. It is also important to address overarching economic opportunities. For instance, a study conducted social norms, algorithmic biases in AI, and the lack of in Nigeria shows that after a year or more of mobile sex-disaggregated data. To follow is a brief description of broadband coverage the total consumption in households these areas. increased by more 6 percent and that two or three years of 3G/4G coverage increased labor force participation for Digital infrastructure women (Bahia, et al., 2020). Women’s use of mobile phones and the internet can increase their participation in the Around the world, while 95 percent of the global population labor market (Ngoaab & Song, 2021). Fixed broadband costs lives in areas covered by mobile broadband networks, nearly are often high and out of reach for many people and, while 400 million people have yet to be connected (Delaporte & cheaper, mobile broadband can be prohibitively expensive Bahia, 2022). In 2021, 86 percent of the global population in for mobile operators (Alliance for Affordable Internet, 2020). rural areas had access to 4G or 3G coverage while in rural Africa almost 30 percent or people cannot access mobile To expand connectivity, policies can be implemented internet (18 percent are not covered by mobile broadband to make infrastructure-sharing options available, with and 11 percent only have 2G coverage. The lack of awareness benefits clear to all players. Operators that rely on and access to devices and the prohibitive costs of devices wholesale infrastructure can be given specific advantages. and services remain challenging. Tackling the barriers to Through the Universal Service and Access Funds (USAFs), internet adoption and usage can close the digital gender policymakers can also support the expansion of broadband gaps, while bringing greater equality for women. It can networks and ensure reach to rural areas, with a priority increase economic opportunities for women and reduce focus on serving public institutions and complementary the prevalence of gender-biased social norms, early providers, such as community network operators, and marriage, and fertility (Viollaz & Winkler, 2020). For instance, subsidizing the costs of individual devices (Alliance for mHealth use can improve women’s health knowledge, Affordable Internet, 2020). attitudes, and practices (Meherali, Rahim, Campbell, & Lassi, 2021). Several interventions exist to facilitate the enabling ecosystem for digitalization, including expanding and increasing the resilience of connectivity infrastructure, and to address the barriers to internet usage, such as access to and affordability of digital technology. 6 Affordability of devices is still a critical barrier to adoption, centers, libraries, and post offices, can also provide people only worsened by the reduction in income during the with free or affordable access to computers, tablets, and COVID-19 pandemic which affected people’s capacity to other internet-enabled devices. buy a mobile phone (Delaporte A. , 2022). In most regions of the world, affordability of devices such as smartphones Digital technology and services need to integrate inclusive represents a significant cost in relation to an individual’s design principles to make sure that digital environments are monthly income (see Figure 2). accessible to all and no one is left behind. Inclusive design is a methodology that places at its core the understanding Several interventions have proven effective in ensuring of the diversity of human experience around environments that women and underserved groups can access and use and use of technology (Microsoft, n.d.). Inclusive design the internet and internet-enabled devices. For example, recognizes those individuals who have been excluded, offering women and underserved groups adequate focusing on user-centered design to build better digital financing mechanisms can help them access digital tools that address expectations from those who will use technology, such as smartphones (Delaporte A. , 2022). the technology. Inclusive design approaches help ensure Outreach is important to ensure customers are aware and that digital solutions meet the needs of women from can take advantage of financing options. Partnerships for underrepresented groups, persons with disabilities, and last-mile delivery of devices can also help get to those people in fragile and conflict settings. Involving these who are harder to reach in remote or rural areas. Device groups in the design and implementation of digital projects providers also need to ensure that devices available in the is fundamental to ensuring that their voices are heard market meet people’s needs and their willingness to pay and included, and operations deliver results according to (see Box 1). Public spaces, such as telecentres, community their needs. FIGURE 2. SMARTPHONE AFFORDABILITY BY REGION Source: Alliance for Affordable Internet 7 BOX 1. PROVIDING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE SECOND-HAND SMARTPHONES ATRenew is an IFC investee and China’s second largest e-commerce platform selling second-hand electronics. ATRenew aims to tackle e-waste and introduce a viable business based on the circular economy model. Founded over a decade ago, ATRenew’s initial operations were the procurement of used phones and electronics through a platform that had a proprietary pricing method leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to inspect and determine the value of each phone. By upcycling electronic devices, ATRenew is contributing to closing the digital gaps facing underserved groups in China. Almost 60 percent of its upcycling business is in smartphones and most are sold in low-income areas. BOX 2. ACCELERATING DIGITAL INCLUSION IN RWANDA The Digital Acceleration Project for Rwanda aims to increase access to broadband and select digital public services and strengthen the digital innovation ecosystem. Investments will address the needs of underserved areas and groups to ensure access to affordable smart devices. Focus is on improving digital literacy, increasing last mile connectivity, and strengthening legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for broadband market development. With women’s digital literacy at 7 percent in the country, compared to 11 percent for men, and only 4.6 percent for rural populations, compared to 26 percent for urban, the project will work to support wider digital inclusion and participation by introducing gender and disability sensitive interventions. This includes tailored and task-based digital literacy training targeting women and persons with disabilities to enable them as end-user to access and use digital services safely and effectively. Digital skills barrier to owning a mobile phone by women and the topmost reported barrier by women mobile users who In addition to increasing access to connectivity and devices, are aware of the mobile internet but are not using it closing gender gap in internet usage requires improving (Shanahan, 2022). women’s digital skills and literacy so they can better use and benefit from the internet and digital technologies. Understanding the quality and level of skills required to Digital skills range from the competences to use a mobile enable women to adopt and use digital technology is a phone and navigate the internet, to more complex skills challenge. This is due to a lack of evidence and frameworks and knowledge for coding and software programming. At to allow countries to classify and evaluate these skills the high end, the digital skills continuum encompasses (World Bank, 2020). In addition, poor literacy and numeracy people’s ability to deploy and develop digital technologies skills can prevent people from learning digital skills, thus and innovations. Digital literacy involves competences to reinforcing the need for universal access to education. access, use, manage and create digital information and tools (World Bank, 2021). Closing the gaps in digital skills, To ensure they have the required digital competencies for a literacy, and awareness is important for gender equality. sustainable and resilient future, countries need to identify shortages in digital skills and set goals on capacity building With challenges around access to literacy and education, for its citizenry (World Bank, 2021). This will require actions women are limited by their digital skills knowledge. to identify and address digital skills gaps facing women and Worldwide, 35 percent of men can provide correct answers underserved groups and actively implement solutions (see to financial literacy questions, compared with 30 percent Boxes 2 and 3). This may include the provision of training of women (Klapper & Lusardi, 2020). In emerging markets, for digital competencies in formal education or non-formal literacy and digital skills are the second most reported training programs or the creation of ICT labs or community centers where people can gain digital skills (UNICEF, 2019). 8 BOX 3. DIGITAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR WOMEN IN ETHIOPIA IFC advisory services supported Gebeya, a pan-African education technology and online job placement company, in implementing the Digital Gender Ethiopia Program. It provides training scholarships to women and seed funding to women entrepreneurs to help increase the number of women software developers and reduce the gender disparity in the tech sector. More than 250 women graduated from the program and 20 women entrepreneurs received seed funding along with technical and strategic advice on business development. Women need to opportunities to gain more advanced The underrepresentation of girls and women in STEM technical skills tiered to meaningful jobs (James, 2021). disciplines not only undermines efforts to achieving This means involving more women and girls in Science, digital equity but also negatively impacts progress toward Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). the SDGs. Key actions to address the gaps also include Gender disparities in STEM participation exist from early addressing gender stereotypes in the classroom, giving girls education but become more visible in higher education opportunities to access top digital learning environments levels. Women represent only 35 percent of all students and engage with digital technology, developing digital enrolled in STEM-related disciplines (UNESCO, 2017). IFC skills programs toward employability, providing digital research shows that gender disparities also exist in tertiary skills training for out-of-school girls, creating safe spaces level online education. Women represent only 37 percent that inspire participation and inclusion in digital and STEM of those enrolled in STEM courses in Coursera, a digital education for girls and boys, and encouraging female education platform provider (IFC, 2022). role models in the digital and tech sectors (Adigun & Diamond, 2021; Hammond, Rubiano Matulevich, Beegle, & Kumaraswamy, 2020). 9 BOX 4. WOMEN USING HEPSIBURADA TO PARTICIPATE IN E-COMMERCE IN TURKEY Hepsiburada is an IFC investee and one of the first e-commerce platforms in Turkey. It is a super-app that offers customers a wide range of products, from groceries to airline tickets to payment services. Founded by Doğan Boyner, one of only 23 women in history to have launched and led a startup to an IPO in the U.S., Hepsiburada has worked hard to increase women’s participation on the platform and has almost achieved gender parity across the company. It increased women’s participation on the platform from 7 percent in 2017 to 20 percent in 2020 through a program that enabled women vendors to open virtual stores at no cost while paying lower commissions and receiving free cargo shipping for six months and access to training. BOX 5. INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN SOCIAL COMMERCE IN INDONESIA Evermos, an IFC investee, is a social commerce platform that enables entrepreneurs to become resellers by connecting them with reliable product suppliers and supporting them with training and a digital sales channel. Through digital literacy and entrepreneurship training, Evermos works to address the cultural and structural barriers that many Indonesian women face as they seek to become entrepreneurs and increase their income. Out of almost half a million Evermos resellers, 73 percent are women and 80 percent are from low-income situations, meaning the platform has enabled the economic empowerment of many women. Digital businesses Women-led businesses represent between 35–51 percent of all businesses on e-commerce platforms across five Digitalization has led to the development of digital countries studied, and women are entering e-commerce platforms by governments and the private sector, changing at higher rates than the offline market (IFC, 2021). However, fundamentally the way in which services are provided they are more likely than men to run micro-enterprises and how platform users and service providers interact. and less likely to participate in high-value sectors. Closing Emerging economic sectors enabled by digital platforms, gender gaps on e-commerce platforms could bring $300 such as e-commerce and ride-hailing, are increasingly billion to the market in Africa and Southeast Asia (IFC, 2021). providing opportunities for women to generate income. The digitalization of government services is also helping Increasingly, private sector companies are moving their to break down access barriers that women face in health procurement online through the use of portals as the care, education, and other types of government support, benefits of digitalization are becoming evident. In the including cash transfers. coffee value chain for example, increased transparency offered by digitalization leads to higher premiums for value The growth in digital platforms in the private sector has chain actors as traceability increases the prices consumers increased income opportunities for women. The COVID-19 are willing to pay (ICO, 2018). This is a sector where 20–30 pandemic highlighted some of these opportunities. During percent of farms are operated by women. In the trade the pandemic, women-led small and micro-enterprises of fast-moving consumer goods, the concentration of were more likely to increase the use of digital platforms women-led firms varies depending on the market context, compared to men-led businesses (Iacovone, et al., 2021). but it can also be high. In the Philippines, for example, However, women still benefit less than men when using women own 88 percent of the country’s micro, small, digital platforms for income generation, even if they are and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the retail and active users. wholesale industry (Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Research by IFC has generated evidence on how women 2018). Yet, many of them face barriers in accessing corporate can gain access to employment in the digital economy. procurement contracts. E-commerce offers pathway for women’s economic inclusion driven by digital technologies (see Boxes 4 and 5). 10 BOX 6. FACILITATING ACCESS TO MARKETS FOR WOMEN RETAILERS AND DISTRIBUTORS Business-to-business (B2B) platforms, financial intermediaries, and other supply chain actors can use digital transaction data to facilitate access to working capital for retailers and distributors. This is particularly beneficial for women as they often face larger gaps in accessing finance. Further, by streamlining and digitizing the ordering of fast-moving consumer goods, digital B2B distribution platforms can improve the procurement process for retailers. Digitalization and access to e-commerce platforms are empowering women to be more efficient, successful, and profitable with their businesses. Supported by We-Fi, IFC investees MaxAB and Trade Depot are reporting on the number of women entrepreneurs that use their platforms and have established targets. E-supply chain actors are often uniquely placed to advance gender equality as many have a direct relationship and frequent interactions with retailers. Emerging evidence from MaxAB and TradeDepot suggests the following actions can help increase women’s participation: • Disaggregating retailer data by gender and tracking this data from the time of retailers’ on-boarding Leveraging data and retailer relationships to identify and address the barriers that disproportionally impact • women retailers’ growth, as well as the factors that lead women retailers to stop using the platform • Engaging stakeholders with data-driven insights about the inclusiveness of their distribution networks. The digitalization of supply chains is opening WSMEs’ access or not study at all if online learning were not an option to markets and opportunities to improve their digital skills. (IFC, 2022). Companies in sectors such as EdTech, with a In e-commerce in Kenya, for instance, more SMEs owned market value that is set to pass $400 billion in 2025, can by women than by men (or jointly) use digital tools, such as enable education and future employment opportunities online platforms and classified ads, to identify tenders and for women (IFC, 2022). Yet, IFC’s research also shows that expressed the need to build their capacity through digital women are not enrolling at the same rates as men. Women trainings in order to be able to access and deliver buyer are at or nearly at parity in North and Latin America, but contracts (IFC, 2021). they represent just 32 percent of online learners in Africa, 34 percent in the Middle East, and 39 percent in Asia- Digital business-to-business (B2B) distribution platforms, Pacific (IFC, 2022). such as IFC investees TradeDepot in Nigeria, MaxAB in Egypt, and Growsari in the Philippines, are streamlining the While many women using online learning are still reliant on procurement process for retailers. According to Unilever, free or audited courses, online learning can have a positive in 2021, retailers enrolled on a digital B2B distribution effect in overall gender equality. Thirty-four percent of platform grew by 4 percent more than retailers not women and 40 percent of men learning online reported enrolled on a platform (Unilever, 2022). These platforms a positive career outcome. Platform providers have an provide insights into how products flow across the opportunity to tap into the underserved women’s market distribution network and, through data-driven insights, are and support women’s specific needs in accessing services increasing women’s participation in the sector (see Box 6). (see Box 6). Closing gender gaps and allowing women to participate at the same rate as men could increase the size Digital platforms in the private sector can help address of the online learning market in developing countries by an gender inequality by offering services that are more additional 10 percent in the years between 2022 and 2026. accessible and affordable for women than offline services. This is the case of online education and learning. Research from IFC on women’s participation in online learning shows that 45 percent of women, and 60 percent of women caregivers, indicated that they would postpone studying 11 Digital public platforms The digitalization of government payments can encourage people to set up digital accounts and increase digital Digital public platforms provide another important inclusion. For instance, in emerging markets, 39 percent of pathway toward women’s financial inclusion. Government- adults—or 57 percent of those with a financial institution to-person payments (G2P) are used to distribute cash account (excluding mobile money)—opened their first assistance to vulnerable and low-income populations. account (excluding mobile money) at a financial institution, To respond to economic and social impacts of COVID-19, specifically to receive a wage payment or receive money many governments digitalized payments (Rutkowski, Garcia from the government (Demirguc-Kunt, Klapper, Singer, & Mora, Bull, Guermazi, & Brown, 2020). Using existing digital Ansar, 2022). Among adults in developing economies with public infrastructure, including identification, payments, an account at a financial institution, roughly 865 million and trusted data-sharing processes, governments were opened their first account to receive money from the able to implement response programs and reach more government, including 423 million women (Demirguc- beneficiaries (World Economic Forum, 2022). Kunt, Klapper, Singer, & Ansar, 2022). While governments have been able to reach many Digital payments can improve women’s economic people through digital payments, gender gaps persist in empowerment and financial inclusion (see Box 7). Women financial inclusion. In developing economies, men with an can access money more conveniently, they can get paid account are, on average, 6 percentage points more likely directly into their accounts, and their access to government than women with an account to use digital payments program’s benefits is improved (Rutkowski, Garcia Mora, Bull, (Demirguc-Kunt, Klapper, Singer, & Ansar, 2022). This gender Guermazi, & Brown, 2020). Evidence on digital payments gap in the use of digital payments among account owners for women’s economic empowerment points to some key has remained virtually unchanged since 2014, despite the actions to ensure benefits reach women, including opening overall increase in digital payments. Furthermore, about accounts in women’s own names, governments depositing one-third of mobile money account holders in Sub- payments to women, and providing digital financial literacy Saharan Africa say they could not use their mobile money and information (Hammond A. , n.d.). account without help from a family member or an agent. Women are 5 percentage points more likely than men to need help using their mobile accounts (Demirguc-Kunt, Klapper, Singer, & Ansar, 2022). 12 BOX 7. LEVERAGING PLATFORM DATA TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES AND GAPS FOR WOMEN’S CAREERS Given the limited analysis on women’s usage and experience using online platforms, IFC has partnered with different online platforms to take advantage of user data that would otherwise not be publicly available to shed light on how disruptive technology impacts women. The goal is to ensure that women can use new technologies to close gaps in access to jobs and assets. Using this data, IFC develops business cases to motivate companies to gather sex-disaggregated data systematically and to consider opportunities to support women as customers, employers, entrepreneurs, and leaders as part of their core business strategy. WOMEN AND ONLINE LEARNING IFC partnered with Coursera and the European Commission to understand women’s participation in online education and to present recommendations on how to improve life-long learning opportunities for women. The study reveals that women represent a minority of online learners in emerging markets, but their participation is growing, boosted further by the pandemic. While online learning can improve access to education for women and underrepresented groups, lower access to course funding, time constraints, and lack of representation affect women’s participation. Increasing women’s participation could bring $14 billion to the online learning market. WOMEN AND E-COMMERCE IFC partnered with Jumia and Lazada, two of the largest e-commerce companies in Africa and Southeast Asia, and the European Commission to understand for the first time whether women entrepreneurs have been able to leverage the digital economy to start and grow their businesses. Closing the earnings gap between men and women vendors by 2025 would yield $14.5 billion in additional market value in Africa and $280 billion in Southeast Asia by 2030. Women are active participants in e-commerce but require support to grow. Women own more than a third of companies in markets like Côte d’Ivoire and Indonesia and over two-thirds in the Philippines. In Africa, women are more likely than men to start a business with personal savings and are less likely to receive a loan from a financial institution. This suggests that targeted financing is an opportunity for e-commerce platforms to grow their seller base, while also closing gender gaps. WOMEN AND RIDE-HAILING IFC developed a case study with PickMe, a ride-hailing platform in Sri Lanka, to understand the impact ride-hailing platforms have on women’s transport patterns. The research shows that women’s mobility and opportunities increased as a result of access to reliable, traceable transport. For instance, 64 percent of women riders said that they can access more or better jobs thanks to ride-hailing, and 88 percent said ride-hailing gives them access to new places. At the same time, the study finds that women represent a minority of riders. Getting ridership to parity with men would increase annual revenues by 24 percent, creating a clear business case for companies to serve women riders. 13 BOX 8. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN DIGITAL G2P PAYMENTS G2Px is a World Bank Initiative, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to improve government- to-person (G2P) payments through the use of digital tools to accelerate financial inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, and government fiscal savings. The program will establish a framework, based on best practice examples, to provide technical assistance to governments. The program has a strong component on gender inclusion looking at how digital cash transfer can drive women’s inclusion and economic empowerment. The goal is to radically improve G2P payments globally, ensuring that all G2P programs use digitalization as a powerful means to deliver life-improving services to women. Five barriers can limit women’s access digital payments, To close the gender gaps in digital identification services, including gender gaps in financial inclusion, proof of governments need to work with women’s groups, place identity, and mobile device ownership; inadequate gender registration centers close to communities (particularly recognition of gaps; and insufficient gender data (Rutkowski, where vulnerable groups are located), and prioritize policies Garcia Mora, Bull, Guermazi, & Brown, 2020). Some of these that can help increase the registration of vulnerable groups, gaps have already been covered, so the rest of this section including women (see Box 8). Examples include women- examines the challenges around identification, an area only registration centers, mobile-enabled registration where digital technology can play an important role. services, and targeted enrollment strategies (Klingen, Hammond, & Srinivasan, 2021). Access to digital public platforms, such as G2Ps, typically requires a form of identification (ID), which women often Digital finance lack due to a variety of constraints. For instance, in some countries, women are required to be accompanied by Digital financial services can boost the financial inclusion male guardians to register themselves or children for of women, offering them greater privacy, security, and IDs. Restrictive social norms can also limit women’s control over their money. While the COVID-19 pandemic independence, requiring them to seek permission to leave had huge implications on economic development, the the house or limiting their time due to household and rapid adoption of technology for financial transactions, in caring responsibilities. Some women are deterred by the response to mobility and social distancing restrictions, led costs of registration, including paying for transportation to greater access to and use of formal financial services. to reach registration points. Others may be less aware of For example, the digitalization of government transfer the relevance of IDs and may also lack information about payments led many people to open an account for the first required documents (Klingen, Hammond, & Srinivasan, time to receive subsidies, pension funds, or public sector 2021; Hammond & ID4D, Forthcoming). wage payments (World Bank, 2022). Global Findex data finds that 71 percent of people in developing countries have a financial account. This includes about 865 million account owners in developing countries (18 percent of adults), including 423 million women, who opened their first financial institution account for the purpose of receiving money from the government (Demirguc-Kunt, Klapper, Singer, & Ansar, 2022). 14 BOX 9. MAKING NIGERIA’S NATIONAL ID SYSTEM INCLUSIVE FOR ALL Pioneering work in Nigeria presents a key opportunity to better understand the intersectionality of barriers faced by women and marginalized groups in accessing an ID. It will be used to develop evidence-based solutions that can be directly incorporated into the country’s planned reforms to make the national ID system more inclusive for all. Through the Nigeria Identification for Development Project, the World Bank researched the needs of women regarding identification. The barriers they face in accessing an ID include lack of documents, costs of travel, getting permission to enroll, family and other care responsibilities, lack of awareness, and misinformation on the requirements for ID and difficulties getting documents. Policy recommendations to tackle these barriers include raising awareness with community leaders, bringing registration centers closer to the communities, improving the registration experience, partnering with private sector and non-profit sector to support enrollment activities, and establishing alternative models of proof of identity. Expanding access to digital financial services for women In some countries, however, financial and social gender requires addressing underlying causes of financial biases leave women behind in mobile phone ownership. inequality. For example, mobile money has been a game One barrier women face is a lack of national identification, changer in offering financial services to many people who which is necessary to register an account or purchase a SIM lack access to traditional banking systems in Sub-Saharan card in one’s name (World Bank, 2022). Digital identification, African and other countries. This includes many women such as biometric identification, can facilitate customer who benefit from the convenience and lower costs of on-boarding by local agents and customer due diligence transacting with local mobile money agents, rather than for transactions. Women also lag men in basic numeracy traveling to the nearest bank branch. and literacy skills. As illustrated in Box 9, addressing the gender gap in financial literacy could help women use formal financial services more responsibly and effectively and improve their use of digital platforms, such as ride- hailing, e-commerce, and e-health applications (World Bank, 2022). 15 BOX 10. STRENGTHENING WOMEN’S FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ACCESS TO FINANCING IN ZAMBIA According to financial institutions in Zambia, a lack of adequate financial management and documentation impacts the creditworthiness of women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs), in addition to the abiding constraint of limited collateral. The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) in Zambia is collaborating with select institutions to facilitate WSMEs’ access to finance through a combination of in-person and online financial management training and pipeline development of new borrowers. The digital delivery channel offers the flexibility that women require and allows the program to reach outside the capital Lusaka. The financial management program emphasizes advanced skills, including identifying the right financial product or service for the business and developing and maintaining formal financial records that meet the criteria set by financial institutions. Loan officers from commercial financial institutions run dedicated credit application workshops. Graduates of the financial management program are then channeled to these institutions, which review their applications on a priority basis. Online safety and security can play an important role by adapting solutions, or creating new tools, to address the pervasiveness of GVB online and As more women get online, safety and security concerns provide better support to users (Hinson, Mueller , O’Brien- are increasingly an issue. In many cases, women are Milne, & Wandera, 2018). Digital skills training can also help experiencing the same type of harassment they face women learn how to keep themselves safe while online. offline but now magnified by technology. These risks limit women’s participation online. For women who do not own a mobile phone and for those who are still not online, safety Social norms and security is the third-most reported barrier to mobile Closing the digital gaps means going beyond the technical internet use (Shanahan, 2022). Many of these women may components required to build digital infrastructure and face fears of intimidation, harassment, violence, fraud, connectivity. Equally important is addressing restrictive surveillance, identity theft, misuse of personal images gender norms, role expectations, stereotypes, and and data, and privacy challenges. In some cases, male patriarchal systems that can limit women’s and girls’ access gatekeepers limit women’s use of digital technology, citing to digital technology, as well as their participation and safety concerns as a reason for women to not go online. contribution in the tech sector. Abusive language or comments and sexist or misogynist Gender norms can determine women’s digital inclusion, comments directed at women are commonly reported as they are often embedded in formal and informal as types of online aggression experienced by women institutions. In some countries, the historically patriarchal (Amnesty International, 2017). These were intensified during norms mean that women can have restricted access, the pandemic (Wang & Affoun, 2021). A few countries have ownership, and use of digital technology. For mobile established legal frameworks to protect individuals from phone and internet usage, for instance, lack of family online harassment and bullying, such as in the Marshall approval is a major reason preventing women from using Islands (see Box 10), but implementation varies significantly mobile internet. It ranks as one of the top three barriers across and within regions (Wang & Affoun, 2021). Without for women in Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Pakistan (Shanahan, adequate protection, women may limit their access 2022). In Pakistan, over 30 percent of women (compared to and participation in digital services and environments, only 3 percent of men) who do not own a phone cite family contributing to their digital exclusion. disapproval as the main reason for the lack of ownership. Combating online gender-based violence (GBV) and Gender stereotypes may also limit women’s participation creating safe online environments are essential for gender in the tech sector. Gender disparities in STEM education equality. Countries can take actions to define and penalize perpetuate existing gender disparities in income and cyber aggressions and use these definitions to collect data employment (UNESCO, 2017). Socialization processes that can inform the development of programs and policies and stereotyped ideas of gender roles heavily contribute to counter digitally-enabled GBV. Similarly, tech companies to girls’ self-selection bias, leading them to opt out of 16 BOX 11. TACKLING ONLINE VIOLENCE IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS The Digital Republic of the Marshall Islands Project ’s development objective is to promote private sector investment in climate-resilient digital services, and establish the critical foundations for digital government services and the digital economy. It aims to increase the number of people with access to the internet, including women, and address risk related to unequal access to digitalization based on gender, age and disability. In addition, the project is one of the first examples of the World Bank’s operations to tackle online violence. The project facilitated the development of a legal framework to criminalize harmful digital communications as part of the cybersecurity policy framework. While activities have a focus on youth and are not specifically targeting online GBV, women are an underserved groups that will benefit from these policies. STEM. Interventions to get more girls and women in STEM Algorithmic biases amid the rise of AI include creating awareness to counter misconceptions There is a risk of frontier technologies exacerbating about STEM, promoting safe and inclusive learning digital gender gaps. The acceleration in the development environments, removing biases in learning materials, and adoption of digital technologies and platforms, as recruiting more women STEM educators, strengthening well as the increasing computing power, have brought an teaching capabilities and STEM curricula, and creating unprecedented opportunity for large sets of digital data mentorship opportunities for girls in STEM (UNESCO, 2017; and complex analysis to inform solutions embedded with Hammond, Rubiano Matulevich, Beegle, & Kumaraswamy, big data, AI, and machine learning (ML). These frontier 2020). Digital tools can be used to implement several of technologies can bring great benefits to people and are these interventions, as long as the gender gaps to digital increasingly being used to address complex development and online education are also tackled. challenges, from health care to agriculture, weather and Additionally, women are underrepresented in tech sector climate, and education (United Nations, 2018). AI/ML, leadership. As of 2022, only 24 percent of leadership in the software as a service (SaaS) applications, and robotics, digital technology industry are held by women (World Economic manufacturing, and other automation have improved Forum, 2022). With fewer women in tech and management efficiency and transparency and have shorten the time for roles, it is less likely that solutions generated in the tech organizations to make informed decisions (United Nations, sector are inclusive. IFC’s research shows that companies 2018). Yet, these technologies are still in their infancy and with more than 30 percent women on their boards their long-term impact is not known. Some risks have demonstrated better financial performance than those started to emerge. with less than 30 percent (IFC, 2019). Women make up Unintended consequences of AI/ML can exacerbate only around 11 percent of senior investment professionals inequalities and discrimination against certain groups. in private equity and venture capital in emerging markets, For example, advancing AI/ML may shift the demand for and only 7 percent of the total funding in emerging markets labor and skills, benefitting those who have these skills goes to women-led business (IFC, 2019). and reducing opportunities for those who do not (often Access to finance for women-led tech firms also continues women and underserved groups). Automated decision to be a challenge. According to a 2021 World Bank report, making will also displace people by replacing jobs only 3 percent of the USD 1.7 billion in startup funding (often done by women) and, consequently, will increase in Africa went to all-women teams while 76 percent inequalities between people, within countries, and may of funding went to all-men teams (World Bank, 2021). even widen gaps between high-income countries and Globally, only 11 percent of seed funding capital in emerging emerging markets (Strusani & Vivien Houngbonon, 2019; markets is given to women-founded companies, and the Huttson, 2017). proportion of funding reduces significantly for later stages (IFC, 2020). The lack of funding to women-led companies has spillover effects for women’s employment in tech, as women-founded firms employ more women as staff and in management. Gender-lens investing solutions and more diversity in investment decision making can help address some of these gaps. 17 Furthermore, AI/ML pose significant social challenges, Lack of sex-disaggregated data including issues with data privacy and security, algorithmic Understanding the gaps in digital inclusion requires data biases around gender and race, and the ethical use of AI. to capture their character and magnitude, including why Reasons for these challenges include the lack of policy and these gaps exist and how different people experience regulatory frameworks for data privacy and protection, as the use of digital technologies. In the private and public well as the lack of diversity in the technology sector and AI sectors, sex-disaggregated data is often not available fields. For instance, most AI pilot studies in health care have and, when available, is rarely updated. At a minimum, been conducted in higher economies by men researchers data should allow the measure of access and use of (Leo Anthony Celi, et al., 2022). digital technologies for men and women (World Bank, Addressing the risks of AI and frontier technologies will 2018). Possible data sources include sex-disaggregated require interventions at different levels. Actions are needed nationally representative consumer surveys, national to recruit more women and underrepresented groups in labor force surveys, nationally representative demand size AI and other tech sectors, to ensure that technologies are survey on ICT access, and use data from digital platform inclusive throughout their lifecycle (Khan, 2021). This will providers. To understand women’s experiences around require that more women and underserved groups have digital technologies, it would also be valuable to conduct the skills needed for AI. This points to interventions that qualitative studies on barriers and inequalities and how increase the participation of women and underrepresented they impact women’s use of digital technologies. groups in STEM and training programs to learn to code and other skills needed for AI (Khan, 2021). 18 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WORLD BANK GROUP OPERATIONAL AND ANALYTICAL ACTIVITIES Digitalization is part of everyday life, so any strategy to The Digital Economy for Africa program undertook reduce gender inequalities must address disparities in country-level diagnostics to generate insights into five key access, affordability, and usage of digital technologies. The themes: digital infrastructure, digital businesses, digital public and private sector have a significant role to play in skills, digital financial services, and digital public platforms. ensuring digital technology reaches women, aligns to their These analytics offer a starting point to develop a more needs, and strengthen their economic empowerment. This holistic approach toward women’s digital inclusion through thematic policy note has gathered evidence of operational projects spanning multiple Global Practices. implementation and investments in the area of digital development where projects address one or more barriers Instruments like the Enterprise Survey also offer an to the digital and financial inclusion of women. While opportunity to integrate digital inclusion at the firm level, many projects are in early stages and impact evaluations thereby engaging the private sector as a major player to are not yet available, this review provides impetus for the reduce gender digital gaps. Currently the framework World Bank Group to continue strengthening work on of the survey incudes questions on the usage of basic the digital inclusion of women and underserved groups. digital technologies, like internet and email. There may be Specific recommendations for the World Bank Group and opportunities to include questions on whether the firms its partners include the following. engage in online sales, marketing, e-commerce platforms, and the like. Digital platforms are in a particularly advantageous place as they can capture sex-disaggregated Include gender gaps in digital inclusion in data and use it to improve women’s user experiences and, new and existing analytics at the same, design solutions tailored to them. Given the cross-cutting nature of digital inclusion, there is an opportunity to integrate digital inclusion analysis into the New analytics are needed to focus on the multidimensional World Bank Group’s core analytics, like Country Economic factors that influence digital inclusion for women. For Memorandum, Country Economic Update, poverty example, in advocating for broader digitalization of assessments, and job diagnostics. Analytics like the Public public services, there is a need to take a more nuanced Expenditure Review and the Program Expenditure Review approach toward the implications for women’s privacy and offer a platform to analyze how much of public funding security. While national IDs yield tremendous benefits for goes to a specific area of interest. It would be important citizens, legal protections are necessary to protect against to analyze existing ICT and digital investments through a discriminatory legislations based on identity, especially for gender lens to ascertain the impact on digital inclusion. women. Important building blocks for a more inclusive With the support from the Gender Innovation Labs and digital economy include transparency in how data provided the Development Economics Vice-presidency, research to governments is used and built-in measures for citizens can help generate much needed sex-disaggregated data to control who has access to their data and how it is used. to inform digital interventions. Similarly, more policy work is needed to support The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) could governments in regulating how private platforms and focus on more targeted policy recommendations to digital services use data. One of the main reasons why reduce gender gaps in digital financial services (DFS). While women may also opt out of the digital economy is the DFS gender gap analysis is part of the program, the menu lack of effective regulation of how data is used by private of gender-specific actions is limited. Most recommended platforms and digital services (Keck, Gillani, Dermish, actions are broadly targeted with the expectation that & Grossman, 2021). The World Bank Group has a role in an overall increase in DFS adoption would also extend providing technical assistance on the regulation of the to women. The World Bank supports national financial private tech sector and public data safety to facilitate inclusion strategies (NFIS) across the globe, and this competitive markets and ensure consumer protection, would be a strong platform to further invest in reducing similar to support provided for regulation of other sectors. digital inclusion gaps through the development of more Emerging new analytics like the Country Climate and targeted activities. Development Reports (CCDRs) offer an additional pathway to bring in digital inclusion for women and understand the 19 intersectional vulnerabilities that women face across the There is also a need to expand beyond physical spectrum of development challenges. Mainly the focus infrastructure and address affordability and wider provision should be on enriching existing analytical tools to more of services. High prices of internet and data services lead to concretely and explicitly and developing new approaches reduced uptake among low-income populations. Within towards identifying, quantifying and analyzing gender countries, there tend to be regional differences in access, gaps in digital inclusion, the applicability of these gaps and providers of digital services can be incentivized to across WBG operations and investments, and dedicated, reduce connectivity gaps for women consumers and measurable actions to reduce these gaps. other underserved segments. Even in countries where prices may not come down in the short term, there may Strengthen the holistic nature of projects to be opportunities to invest in public access to the internet. reduce gender gaps in digital inclusion In Uganda, for example, the government offers subsidized internet access to business incubators (although these The primary requirement for women’s participation in tend to be located in larger urban areas and available the digital and digitalized economy is ownership and only to startups). The expansion of such a network affordability of digital devices and services. In addition across underserved regions may offer a viable path for to directing investments toward digital networks and underserved populations, including women, to gain access backbone infrastructure, there is opportunity to prioritize to digital technologies. investments in initiatives that facilitate access to low- cost devices, like smartphones, tablets, and laptops, In designing new projects, it is important to go beyond as well as digital skills training programs for women. the framework of gender tagging and support task teams Many governments levy import duties on basic digital in undertaking more creative approaches to addressing devices and, in the absence of locally manufactured, digital inclusion across sectors. It is also important to take affordable devices, these taxes make it difficult for low- into account the data protection and privacy implications income women and other segments to access devices. of the growing portfolio of projects focused on digital There may be opportunities to develop a set of policy infrastructure and services. This would require working recommendations around tiered duties that subsidize across Global Practices within the World Bank and import of devices. A combination of analytics, technical developing projects that address the multidimensional assistance, and operational support offers a viable path constraints of digital equity and inclusion for women. As for World Bank Group activities to broaden and deepen the IFC portfolio of investments in the tech sector grows, support for an inclusive digital economy. there is an opportunity to support investees in identifying gender gaps in their operations and offerings. 20 Finally, it is important that inclusive design approaches are To increase women in the tech sector, more girls and integrated into operations and investments to ensure that women need to enroll in STEM education, complete the voices of women and underserved group are heard, educational programs and be gainfully employed in the and the outcomes of the project address their need for tech sector. Addressing the gender norms in learning technology and digital inclusion. Inclusive approaches requires engagement with parents and educators to increase the likelihood that outputs of the implementation reshape attitudes toward the participation of girls in STEM, are adopted by women. and encouraging the participation of girls and women in extracurricular activities related to STEM, such as coding Address social norms that restrict women’s and robotics camps, to increase their interest in the field digital inclusion (World Bank, 2020). Women role models as examples of what success means for women in the sector and Dedicated activities that focus on addressing social norms mentorship programs can encourage more women to around women’s access to and usage of digital services pursue STEM-related careers. The private sector can also need to be better integrated into World Bank Group play a role by providing financial support to STEM initiatives operations that focus on the digital economy. Important for women, facilitating exposure of women role models social norms to consider include economic mobility, and providing opportunities for women and girls, such as physical mobility, interactions between people of different internships programs (World Bank, 2020). At the same time, sexes, perceived need for identification, social constraints broader inclusive workplace policies that provide access against women’s use of digital technologies, gender biases to childcare, maternity leave, anti-harassment initiatives in STEM education and employment, and discriminatory would also benefit women in tech. laws and procedures (World Bank, 2018). Where operations support expanded digital infrastructure and access, there In many countries, government-led support programs is a need to add activities that identify local dynamics for the private sector include financial incentives, like risk around gender gaps in digital inclusion and work with local sharing facilities, credit lines, and guarantees, and are communities to develop customized programs that can enhanced by World Bank operational investments. To scale up women’s usage of digital technologies. Activities support more women-led firms, these instruments can be focused on enhancing women’s voice and agency would better targeted to support women-founded and managed also benefit from leveraging digital technologies. firms. For example, credit guarantee schemes can be designed to offer dedicated windows for women-led firms Support women’s participation and and include women-led tech firms and/or digitalization leadership in the tech sector of women-dominated sectors as specific segments of focus. IFC works with venture capital funds to increase the It is also essential that women are recognized as more than percentage of capital that funds allocate to women-led passive recipients of technology. Their full participation in companies. Programs focused on diversifying boardrooms designing and implementing tech solutions for pressing could also focus on diversifying tech company boards global problems must be supported through World Bank which remain primarily male dominated. Group activities. Gender discrimination and harassment in the workplace are also persistent in the tech sector. While data from emerging markets is limited, nearly 50 percent of women working in STEM jobs report gender-related discrimination at work, compared to 19 percent of men working in the sector (Funk & Parker, 2018). This in turn constrains women’s entry into and success in the tech sector. More needs to be done to ensure that respectful workplace policies are set in place in the tech sector so that more women can be active participants in the development of technologies. 21 Invest in digitalization of women-dominated Investing in the digitalization in value chains where women value chains and sectors have an increased presence—agribusiness, hospitality, trading, and services, for example—offers a pathway to Digital platforms need to consider the needs of women- leverage digital technologies for women’s greater economic owned small and medium enterprises, as well as other and digital inclusion. Digital technology can provide women users. In sectors such as e-commerce, evidence greater visibility for companies and help them to identify shows that women can leverage technology to enter gender inequalities in distribution networks, such as gaps more profitable sectors and pursue great value-added in the participation of women distributors and retailers opportunities as the platforms can address challenges of and differences in sales performance. Working to build market access and in some cases logistics handling. To firm capacity to access these platforms and addressing better support all women, digital platforms need to collect the logistical challenges of cross-border e-commerce sex-disaggregated data to inform solutions (see Boxes 4 through World Bank operations offers an opportunity to and 5). These may include leveraging platform financing, realize the potential economic benefits of an inclusive helping women to take advantage of paid promotions to digital economy. 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