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Gender Gap in Mobile Internet: Stalling Progress in LMICs

The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025 reveals a concerning trend in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) regarding women’s access to mobile internet. Despite previous progress, efforts to close the gender divide have stalled in recent years. As of 2024, the gap has not shrunk further, with women being 14% less likely to use mobile internet than their male counterparts.

Key Findings

According to the report, an estimated 885 million women remain unconnected in LMICs, with South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa bearing the heaviest burdens. Approximately 235 million fewer women than men are online, revealing deep-rooted societal issues that hinder women's digital empowerment. While there has been improvement since 2017, where the gap stood at 25%, recent data indicates stagnation since 2021, highlighting persistent barriers to internet access for women.

The Digital Divide

Women face multiple challenges when it comes to accessing and effectively using mobile internet. With 61% owning smartphones, the remaining 945 million still lack access to essential technology. For many, entry-level smartphones consume about 24% of their monthly income, which is disproportionately higher than the cost for men. Additionally, once women are connected, they tend to use mobile internet less frequently and for fewer services due to issues of affordability, safety, and unreliable connectivity.

Most respondents in the survey indicated that mobile internet significantly improves their lives, enhancing connections with family and friends, supporting job opportunities, and providing access to critical services like healthcare and finance. However, the gap remains particularly pronounced in certain regions, such as South Asia with a 32% gap and Sub-Saharan Africa with 29%.

Call for Action

Claire Sibthorpe, Head of Digital Inclusion at GSMA, expressed disappointment over the stalling progress: "The data underscores an urgent need for collective efforts from all stakeholders to bridge this digital divide. The barriers women face are rooted in economic, cultural, and social issues that require targeted interventions." Since the inception of the Connected Women Commitment Initiative in 2016, over 80 million women have benefitted from mobile internet or mobile money services, demonstrating that concrete actions can lead to significant change.

Conclusion

The findings from the GSMA report serve as a wake-up call for leaders and organizations worldwide to intensify their commitment towards digital equality. It is crucial that future efforts are made not just to connect more women, but to ensure they can use mobile internet safely and effectively to unlock its transformative potential. Closing the mobile internet gender gap will not only benefit women but society at large, promoting economic growth and development across communities.

In conclusion, while there have been strides in connecting women to mobile internet, current efforts are not sufficient, and it is essential to renew commitments with urgency and purpose to foster digital inclusion and close the gender gap that continues to persist.