The digital gender gap refers to the differences between men and women in the technological and digital sphere, which are reflected in education, work performance and personal habits related to digitalisation: internet use and use of connected devices.
Since the beginning of the century, several studies have confirmed that the digital divide is gradually narrowing, but efforts and initiatives to close this gap cannot be interrupted , since different metrics from the most recent studies indicate that gender inequalities continue to exist in work and strategic areas.
ONTSI study on the digital divide
The main conclusions of the ONTSI 2023 study on the digital gender gap , presented kuwait mobile number example on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation's portal and on Red.es, focus on different areas, which are the starting point that shows us the path to follow:
Internet use and age gap : It has been observed that 92.8% of Spanish women aged 16 to 74 use the Internet at least once a week, a figure slightly lower than that of men. However, among those over 75 years of age, the difference widens, with men being weekly Internet users in greater proportion than women.
Online activities: There are differences in Internet use by gender; women in Spain use the Internet more for health-related activities, while men use it more for leisure, such as games and music.
Education and employment in the ICT and STEM field : Women represent only 17.8% of the employed population with STEM training in Spain. In addition, there is a notable inequality in the labour market, with only 19.4% of the total number of ICT specialists being women.
Cybersecurity awareness : Women are more aware of the risks of online sexual harassment and violence, with the majority of victims of online sexual crimes being women.
Initiatives and action plans: The Government is working on reducing the gender gap in digital skills through the National Digital Skills Plan and the Pact for Generation D (to which Femxa is a member ), with the aim of ensuring that, by 2025, 80% of citizens have basic digital skills. In addition, specific programmes are being developed for SMEs and initiatives are being promoted to encourage the participation of women in the digital economy, such as the ENISA line of financing for Female Digital Entrepreneurs.
Actions to be implemented to reduce the digital gender gap
To improve the digital gender gap and equalize the labor market in technology companies in Spain, several key points can be considered based on the available studies and recommendations:
Promoting female participation in the ICT sector
Increasing the presence of women in the ICT sector is essential. Currently, only a small percentage of women occupy technical and specialized positions in Spain. More women should be encouraged to apply for job offers linked to the digital sector and their presence should be promoted in leadership and development roles within the industry.
Education and mentoring