In March 2017, the Broadband Commission’s Working Group on the Digital Gender Divide, co-chaired by the GSMA and UNESCO, launched a report that outlines a set of recommendations for action that stakeholders can take to address the gender gap in Internet access and use. In response to that publication, we have issued a progress report for 2018.

The report also includes commitments by members of the Working Group on the Digital Gender Divide to take forward some of the recommended actions. This progress report provides an update on progress against many of these commitments as well as new commitments to action by members of the Working Group. Specifically, it sets out an update from Working Group members on actions they have taken against the four groups of recommended actions outlined in the March 2017 “Recommendations for action” report:

• The first group is concerned with the need for stakeholders to gain a better understanding of relevant contexts by supporting the collection, tracking and analysis of sex-disaggregated data on Internet access and use.
• The second group is concerned with the integration of gender perspectives in relevant strategies, policies, plans, and budgets.
• The third group seeks to address barriers related to affordability, threats that hamper access and use, digital literacy and confidence, and the availability of relevant content, applications and services.
• The fourth and final group concerns the need for supporting stakeholders to collaborate more effectively in addressing digital gender gaps by sharing good practices and lessons learned

This report has been created collaboratively, drawing on contributions and insights from the participants of the Broadband Commission Working Group on the Digital Gender Divide, under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.

The UN Broadband Working Group on the Digital Gender Divide is chaired by Mr Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA, and is co-chaired by Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The GSMA has coordinated the process of drafting this document.