Leveraging ICT Technologies in Closing the Gender Gap
In recent decades, the growth of information and communications technologies (ICT) and the move toward the digitalization of trade and global value chains has been radically transforming the global trade scene, with important implications for women...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/891391578289050252/Leveraging-ICT-Technologies-in-Closing-the-Gender-Gap http://hdl.handle.net/10986/33165 |
| Summary: | In recent decades, the growth of
information and communications technologies (ICT) and the
move toward the digitalization of trade and global value
chains has been radically transforming the global trade
scene, with important implications for women engaged in
trade. In order to identify adequate measures to reduce
gender disparities, this paper reviews and discusses
evidence from the existing literature, as well as presents
evidence from several new empirical analyses. It also
introduces two new frameworks to analyze the gender
dimensions of e-commerce. Digital technologies have the
potential to empower women socially and economically by
creating new employment and entrepreneurial opportunities,
removing trade barriers for women, enhancing access to
finance and information and optimizing their business
processes. For example, e-commerce substantially lowers the
barriers to entry for micro-, small- and medium sized
enterprises by reducing the investment needed to launch and
run a business. Digital solutions that remove the need for
face-to-face interactions when trading can help reduce the
difficulties women business owners face, such as mobility
constraints, discrimination, and in some countries even
violence. As workers, digital technologies may help women
overcome time and mobility constraints by connecting women
to work from different locations and in flexible hours
through emails, instant messaging and tele-conferences. It
will also benefit women as consumers by saving time,
providing access to information, reducing transaction costs,
or giving them more control over the purchasing process.
Yet, technology is not the silver bullet in resolving all
the gender gaps in trade. This is because women’s access and
use of ICTs and digital technologies tend to lag in contrast
to men. The benefits of digital technologies hinges on
well-designed and specifically targeted policies. |
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