Women in the digital world: Equal opportunity for all

If Indonesia remains consistent, it can serve as an example of how the digital world creates opportunities for everyone, especially for half the population that has historically been left behind: women.

Jakarta — Every 8 March, we commemorate International Women’s Day. When we connect this to the digital world, its significance is increasingly felt. The internet is now like a main highway where people learn, work, build businesses, and access important services in various fields, such as healthcare and banking.

However, not everyone can navigate this road easily, particularly women. Gaps remain: who can access it, who can afford it, and who has the skills to use technology safely and productively.

In Indonesia and many other countries, these gaps are indeed shrinking, but have not closed entirely. This is why International Women’s Day momentum pushes us to ensure that this digital road is accessible to everyone, including women, without barriers.

The latest global figures show that more men use the internet than women. In 2024, approximately 70 per cent of men use the internet, whilst 65 per cent of women do. This means there is a gap of around 189 million people. This gulf is most felt in low-income countries. There, only 27 per cent of the population is online, far behind developed nations. So, despite the world becoming increasingly digital, most women in low-income countries have yet to participate.

The good news is that in developing countries, women are catching up. The latest report from BCG shows the gap between men and women is narrowing, from 19 per cent (2022) to 15 per cent (2023).

Indonesia is among those pushing for improvement in internet access equality. Nevertheless, approximately 785 million women still cannot access online facilities. Many are hampered because they do not own a smartphone or internet credit remains unaffordably expensive.

To close this gap is not merely a “women’s issue”. The figures are clear: if women gain equal digital access, the global economy could increase by approximately $1.5 trillion USD and tens of millions of women could escape poverty by 2030. There is also the question of social justice.

The World Economic Forum report states that if we progress as we are now, it will take 134 years to achieve full gender equality between women and men across various aspects, including economy, education, and leadership. This means our descendants will still discuss the same matters if we do not accelerate our efforts, particularly through digital channels which are growing fastest.