EQUALS Gender Digital Inclusion Map

​​​ITU and UNU-CS have been conducting research since May 2016 to map projects that address the gender digital divide. The first output of this project is the Gender Digital Inclusion Map, an interactive visualisation tool which can be consulted to discover initiatives that are working towards bridging the gender digital divide around the world. The aim has been to identify key organizations working in this domain, and to eventually understand what constitutes best practice among such projects. This research is part of EQUALS, the Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age.

​The research unfolded in three phases:

Database compilation
Through desktop research data was gathered on over 400 initiatives, classified according to the following typology of the projects' aim: (a) ensuring women access to ICTs; (b) increasing participation of girls in ICT studies; and (c) increasing the recruitment and retention of women in the ICT sector.

Survey
A survey was conducted to validate the findings from the desktop research, and to add more initiatives. The response rate was over 40%, with 209 responses.

Inte​rviews
23 semi-structured interviews were conducted to contextualize the data from the first two phases.

> You can find the detailed methodology he​re. ​

The preliminary results of this project were presented at Telecom World 2016, ITU's annual event for the world's foremost ICT leaders, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

• More than a third of initiatives focus on training women in ICT skills.
• Mentoring, awareness-raising and advocacy projects are underrepresented despite their importance to address the issue as a whole.
• Civil society is leading the efforts towards bridging the gender digital divide. The private sector, government, and academia could be doing more to pull their weight.
• The organizations working on these issues are mostly based in the developed world, yet almost all of their projects are implemented in developing countries.
• Respondents noted that a lack of funds and data represent the main obstacles to success, and that to maximize their impact, projects must address the broader socio-economic and cultural environment of the women and girls they target. They also stressed the importance of having both locally relevant projects and a global framework for action.

> To learn more about the preliminary findings from our database, survey, and interviews download the presentation here.

​The EQUALS Gender Digital Inclusion Database now counts with over 400 initiatives, and is updated continuously. We invite organizations to submit projects that are not yet listed using this form. The EQUALS Gender Digital Inclusion map shown below is still in beta and we are currently working to make sure all initiatives in our database (which can be downloaded here) are displayed. Our aim is to have a geographically and linguistically representative map, with 1000+ projects charted by the end of 2017.

The map below is a beta version. If you cant not visualize it or you find any problem, please email gender@itu.int. 

 

The Gender Digital Inclusion Map has been developed by the ITU and UNU-CS, in collaboration with the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the Federal MInistry for Economic Cooperation and Development. For further information on how to join this initiative, please send a message to gender@itu.int.

​The underlying map is provided by the third party indicated as the map source. ITU expressly disclaims all liability regarding the map’s accuracy or completeness, including errors, omissions, or other defects. The designations employed and the presentation of the material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ITU concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.