The digital gender divide

Supporting women to be digitally included supports our whole society to be more equal, inclusive and better off.

Australian women are more digitally excluded than men. Globally, men are 21% more likely to be online than women. Women and girls not having equal access and participation online as men is being called the ‘digital gender divide’.

This means that Australian women on low incomes, unpaid carers, women with disability, First Nations women and older women are more likely to have lower skills, confidence, and affordable access to the internet.

Women in Australia are more likely than men to report online abuse in their professional and personal lives, which can lead to lower rates of online participation. Women are also less likely to be employed in our growing tech workforce, and more likely to take career breaks to care for family, which can see digital skills development stall and confidence decrease.