Africa continues to face deep gender disparities in digital access and skills, even as international attention turns to technology’s role in promoting equality. As part of the World Telecommunications and Information day, themed “Gender Equality and Digital Transformation,” the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) warned that women across the continent remain at a disadvantage in gaining essential digital competencies.
Despite growing policy attention toward digital inclusion, women across the continent remain significantly underrepresented in both basic and advanced digital competencies, from internet use and email to coding and using online tools in the workplace.
“Internet usage is a proxy for digital skills acquisition,” an ITU spokesperson told ITWeb Africa. “According to ITU data, an estimated 43% of men were online in Africa compared to an estimated 31% of women in 2024. This is the widest gender gap in internet use globally in 2024.”
Although internet access has improved marginally for women over the past five years, the pace is slow. The continent’s gender parity score has inched up from 0.69 to 0.72 since 2019, signaling some progress but not enough to meet broader development goals.
The disparity is rooted in deeper structural issues. Women and girls are more likely to face barriers such as the high cost of devices, unaffordable internet access, lower levels of formal education, and a lack of targeted training.
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“Women face multiple barriers to accessing digital technologies, including affordability, lower levels of education, and limited access to devices. These factors compound the digital skills gap,” the spokesperson said.
Education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is also uneven, with far fewer girls enrolled in relevant programs, especially at secondary and tertiary levels. This weakens the pipeline for women to enter ICT professions or participate in emerging digital economies.
“Women and girls face challenges in acquiring digital skills due to lower school enrolment in STEM subjects and limited exposure to ICT training,” the ITU said. “Africa trails behind global averages in STEM education participation, particularly among girls, both in secondary and tertiary education which limits the pipeline of women entering ICT careers.”
Some countries have adopted national policies to promote STEM education for girls, but implementation often lags, and a coordinated, continent-wide strategy remains elusive.
The long-term consequences of this divide could be severe. Asked whether African women and girls are prepared for the jobs of the future, the ITU pointed to a shortfall in readiness compared to men and boys, driven largely by lower access to education and digital tools.
“Fewer girls pursue STEM education and women have less access to digital training, limiting readiness for tech-enabled and tech-driven jobs,” the spokesperson said. “However, the potential for a shift is high when there is targeted investment in digital skills, STEM education, and inclusive policies. Multi-stakeholder action and partnerships are needed to close the gaps.”
To enable digital transformation that benefits everyone, the ITU emphasized the need for inclusive infrastructure development. Expanding fibre, mobile and satellite networks across Africa is only part of the solution, the organization said. Equally important is ensuring that these investments lead to affordable, equitable access and actively address the barriers women face.
“When investments are inclusive and result in affordable access and use, more women can gain access to the internet and digital tools,” the spokesperson said. “However, barriers in digital skills and digital literacy, access to finance, must be addressed for women to benefit equally. Without gender-responsive planning and implementation, the digital divide may widen.”
As Africa leans further into digital economies, failure to bridge the gender gap risks locking millions of women out of the benefits of technology and slowing down inclusive growth.
A GSMA report revealed that Women still 14% less likely to use mobile internet; 885 million remain offline, the report noted. Progress in narrowing the gender gap according to the report in mobile internet use across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) stalled in 2024, with women continuing to lag significantly behind men in digital access.
