Research and policy advocacy tools for #womensrightsonline (Lightning Session)

Event report

[Read more session reports and live updates from the 11th Internet Governance Forum]

Ms Nanjira Sambuli, Digital Equality Advocacy Manager at the World Wide Web Foundation, presented the results of the Foundation’s Women’s Rights Online network 10-country survey on the digital gap, Women’s Rights Online: Translating Access into Empowerment.

Among the results that Sambuli highlighted were:

• Women are 50% less likely than men in a community to access the Internet
• Women are 50% less likely than men to use the Internet for personal empowerment
• Some of the biggest reasons for women’s lack of use are:
  • Lack of ‘know-how’
  • Lack of affordability (of devices and access)
  • Lack of access to devices

Sambuli noted that in many countries, reports of online-based gender violence aren’t taken seriously, and that it was important to ensue women had ‘safe spaces’ online.

She stated that it was important that there are relevant content and services for women, to attract women online, such as access to information about sexual health and reproduction.

She encouraged participants who were interested in conducting similar surveys in other countries to read the Digital Gender Gap Audit Scorecard Toolkit.

About the World Wide Web Foundation

The World Wide Web Foundation won the ITU-UN Women GEM-TECH award for its gender-based work in the Women’s Rights Online and Alliance for Affordable Internet initiatives.

by Samantha Dickinson