At a digital inclusion hub in Sharjah, a group of middle-aged women is learning skills such as video calling, online safety, and using online government and health services. “So much is moving online … it can be quite isolating when you can’t do something,” says Sarah Ahmed. 

From the rise of online learning to the rapid expansion of tech jobs, the digital age has created unprecedented opportunities. Yet, this connectivity and advancing technology have put some at a disadvantage, bringing forth new forms of inequality, with women and girls remaining underrepresented in technology creation, use, and regulation.

In today’s increasingly digital world, gender disparities in digital access pose a risk of leaving women and girls even further behind. 

While efforts to address these disparities have improved the gender parity score, the gap between men’s and women’s access has increased by 20 million since 2019. 

However, these stats do not provide the full picture. Age, disability, socioeconomic status, and location all influence women’s digital access and usage. Marginalized groups, such as older women and women with disabilities, encounter significantly greater obstacles to connectivity.

The digital divide is affecting women everywhere. But, Samar Alshorafa, founding CEO of She is Arab, says it is particularly acute in the Middle East and North Africa, where men have higher internet access rates and digital literacy than women. “In most countries of the region, the percentage of male internet users is higher than that of female internet users.

Alshorafa adds that a point always worth highlighting, though, is that if we look at the GCC region separately, “the situation is very different, with high internet connectivity and digital literacy for both men and women, which sometimes falsely suggests that the gap is smaller in the Middle East than it actually is.”

The region’s lower-income countries, especially those affected by conflicts, have the most glaring digital gaps. In places such as Gaza, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, users face low-speed Internet and prolonged periods of connectivity loss.

CHANGING GOAL POST

Meanwhile, organizations have accelerated their digital agenda, and the demand for “AI in everything” has put women at a disadvantage.

With the workplace landscape becoming more fluid with rapid tech upgrades—AI, computing, etc.— experts say women are falling behind, which causes them to need skilling and reskilling. 

“The digital divide we once knew is dead. The new technological age hasn’t just moved the goalposts—it’s fundamentally changed the playing field. We’re no longer discussing access to computers or coding classes; we’re talking about a shift in the mindset of how exponential technologies, such as AI, are making many old digital practices obsolete,” says Dr. Zina Jarrahi Cinker, founder and director general of MATTER, an organization facilitating the global use of advanced materials to solve societal challenges, and founder of PUZZLE X, a hub for deep-tech science.

This new divide Cinker adds separates those who can leverage AI to innovate and create from those left grappling with outdated digital concepts. “In the Middle East, this shift presents a stark challenge and an unprecedented opportunity to redefine the economic landscape.”

VARIOUS BARRIERS

The divide not only limits women’s digital empowerment but also reduces technology’s potential. Over the past decade, women’s digital exclusion has cost low—and middle-income countries $1 trillion in GDP. 

In 2020, governments in 32 countries, including Egypt, lost an estimated $126 billion in gross domestic product because women could not contribute to the digital economy.

“Advancing digital inclusion for women would positively impact the economy, significantly increase GDP, and ultimately increase women’s workforce participation,” says Alshorafa.

However, various barriers prevent women and girls from going online, including expensive handsets and data tariffs, social norms that discourage women and girls from being online, fears around privacy, safety, and security, and a lack of money.

According to Alshorafa, there is a correlation between culture and digital exclusion of women in a conservative region like the Middle East. 

“Social norms and traditions, the laws and regulatory frameworks that were built based on these norms, and expectations from women in society all directly influence their educational attainment, as well as the degree of economic autonomy and opportunity they enjoy.” 

Besides, she continues, perceptions and assumptions about women and their capabilities form an integral part of the region and culture. “These societal factors directly relate to work hours, travel requirements, family obligations, and the conventional barriers women face in the employment market.”

“Cultural norms have historically contributed to the digital divide, but change is underway,” adds Maya Ayoub, Country Director in Saudi Arabia at Women in Tech, a global movement.

CLOSING THE GAP

This makes clear that more than improving digital infrastructure is needed. We need a holistic response to boost digital inclusion; public, voluntary, and private sector organizations should consider how to reduce the digital barriers women face.

Also, affordability, online privacy and safety, social norms, and digital skills—all influenced by gender—will ensure bridging access gaps.

“The digital economy and AI are transforming everything, and pathways are needed to make the transition. Traditional education was developed before the digital economy, and the main problem lies in this. The present moment requires thinking differently and new plans for educational strategies and upskilling employees,” says Stavroula Kalogeras, MBA Program Director, Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai. “The digital gap is about empowering everybody to collaborate with AI efficiently and ethically.”

Empowering women with access and skills can fuel significant growth in the Middle East, says Cinker. “Imagine the innovation and progress that can be achieved when all minds have the tools to connect and contribute.”

While it seems that countries are slowly isolating technically less adept groups every year, by design, experts say governments in the region looking to build a resilient economy have initiatives underway to bridge this gap. “ For example, initiatives like Saudi Vision 2030 aim to boost female workforce participation to 30%,” says Ayoub. “In Saudi Arabia, women’s participation in the workforce is rising. Empowering them can drive business growth and community development, creating a more inclusive and prosperous economy.”

While closing the digital gender divide would require more investment in various initiatives that advance women’s economic inclusion, Alshorafa says it’s equally important to employ more women in tech, advance digital and financial literacy for women, and support and fund more women-owned businesses.

“We must also focus on revising our legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure they are designed to eliminate the gender gap on all fronts.” 

Additionally, to close the gap, Cinker adds, is to stop pushing outdated digital literacy programs and start embracing a new approach to digital language and the digital economy powered by AI. “This shift is going to level the playing field in ways we’ve never seen before.” 

And as millions are caught in a perfect storm, lacking the essential digital skills and confidence to navigate today’s society, Cinker says, bridging the digital divide will depend on putting women front and center. “Young girls need to see themselves reflected in those leading technological advancements.”

“There are so many amazing examples of powerful female leaders in this region in science, tech, policy, and civil society, but we want more and need to give them more visibility,” Cinker adds.