WiDEF Seeks Solutions To Bridge Gender Gap In Digital Economy

The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) has recently initiated its inaugural call for applications, targeting the significant issue of the gender digital divide. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. WiDEF's primary objective is to pinpoint, finance, and expedite investments in strategies that aim to bridge this divide, which not only perpetuates existing inequalities but also hampers societal progress.

Addressing the gender digital divide is not just a matter of equity but is also crucial for achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. This includes broadening access to economic opportunities, government services, education, and healthcare for women. Presently, an alarming figure of nearly 1.5 billion women in low- and middle-income countries are deprived of online services. Moreover, there exists a global disparity with 259 million more men having internet access compared to women. Bridging this gap could potentially boost economic activity by an estimated $524 billion by 2025.

WiDEF is managed by a consortium comprising CARE, the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP), and the GSMA Foundation. This consortium is set to collaborate with private sector entities and funders to bolster efforts towards mitigating the gender digital divide. The supported programs will concentrate on enhancing digital access and affordability, providing skills training, ensuring online safety and security, and facilitating sex-disaggregated data and research.

The fund has opened its doors for applications, with backing from USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft, and the Korean International Cooperation Agency. The deadline for submission is set for May 6, 2024. A key focus of WiDEF is to give precedence to women-led and gender transformative solutions. It also aims to place at the forefront the voices and institutions that are most intimately acquainted with the challenges of the gender digital divide.

This initiative underscores a collective recognition of the urgent need to empower women as equal participants in the digital domain. By addressing the barriers that prevent women from accessing and benefiting from digital technology, WiDEF aspires to create a more inclusive digital economy where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.