Bangladeshi women lag behind in mobile internet usage

Women in Bangladesh are trailing significantly in mobile internet usage compared to their male counterparts and women in other Asian countries, says the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). 

In a recent report, the global mobile network monitoring entity mentioned that only 24 per cent of women in Bangladesh have access to mobile internet services, while the percentage is 40 per cent for men. 

However, the women are well aware of internet usage and maintain a higher interest in the internet than their male counterparts. Lack of literacy and digital skills are mainly blamed for the Bangladeshi women’s poor performance in the report. 

To prepare the report, the GSMA conducted surveys in 12 low- and middle-income countries and collected data from 1,000 individuals aged 15 and above in each country, except India, where 2,000 people were surveyed. 

The countries are Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Uganda, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Guatemala, and Mexico.

According to the report, Bangladesh maintains the highest gender gap – 40 per cent – in mobile internet usage among the Asian countries. The gap is 30 per cent in India, 38 per cent in Pakistan, and 8 per cent in Indonesia. 

Despite the lower usage rates, Bangladeshi women show a high level of awareness about internet usage and express greater interest in using the internet compared to men.

The primary barriers preventing women from using mobile internet include lack of literacy, digital skills, and affordability. Besides, high costs of mobile phones and data packages pose restrictions to internet usage. 

In Bangladesh, around 85 per cent of men own mobile phones compared to only 68 per cent of women, indicating a 20 per cent ownership gap. This extent has slightly decreased from 21 per cent recorded in 2022.

However, the percentage of male smartphone users is nearly twice that of their women counterparts. 

Asked about the issue, BM Mainul Hossain, professor at Dhaka University's Institute of Information Technology, laid emphasis on addressing the reported disparities. 

Women in Bangladesh are aware of internet usage but still unable to use it fully. With the digital transformation of government services, it is crucial to bridge these gaps to ensure women do not fall behind, he said.