World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

  To help close the gender digital divide, we invite you to: Promote gender-responsive policies  that enable women’s active participation in the tech sector Ensure equal access to digital skills  and training for women and girls Foster global partnerships  across governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society to  scale impact Check out the Advocacy toolkit to support the campaign Find resources and opportunities to mark WTISD-25 and help close the digital gender gap.  Get involved

Despite progress, inequality remains a barrier to digital inclusion . According to Facts and Figures 2024 : 70% of men use the Internet globally , compared to 65% of women, a gap that leaves 189 million more men online than women worldwide. While the digital gender gap has narrowed in many developed countries, it has widened in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), where only 29% of women are using the internet compared to 41% of men. Gaps persist not only in access, but also in affordability, digital skills , participation in STEM , and leadership in the tech sector . These gaps not only disadvantage women and girls, they also hinder economic growth, innovation in countries around the world, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .  

  According to ITU estimates, by 2025, 280 million more men than women are expected to use the internet globally. While 77% of men are online, only 71% of women have access. Bridging this gap is essential for inclusive digital growth and opportunities for women and girls worldwide. The GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE ( EQUALS ) contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Agenda through actions and evidence-based research aimed at closing the global gender digital divide. By promoting awareness, building political commitments, leveraging resources and knowledge, harnessing the capacities of partners, and supporting real action, EQUALS seeks to achieve digital gender equality . Generation Connect is a leading platform to engage, specifically with global youth and encourage Youth participation as equal partners alongside the leaders of today’s digital change, empowering young people with thedigital skills and opportunities to advance their vision of conn...

   Instilling the Necessary skills has become a key part of national digital transformation strategies . With a wide range of projects that target digital skills , ITU contributes actively to the strengthening of Digital capacities among its member states, e.g., via  Training for ICT professionals ; basic and intermediate skills training for citizens and marginalized groups ; a commitment to invest in skills development for young people ; tools and guidelines to implement digital skills strategies; and International cooperation to help governments increase their digital capacity . Among others, the ITU Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative , launched with Cisco in 2019, aims to strengthen people’s digital capacities, particularly in underserved communities. Over 150 000 people (of which over 60% were female) have been trained in basic and intermediate digital skills through 13 DTCs located in Africa, the Americas, and the Arab and Asia-Pacific regions