Case Studies

The Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative has worked in partnership with local and international partners to shine a spotlight on the digital gender divide in the Pacific, and call on governments to invest in affordable internet access and digital education to help bridge the gap.

Digital transformation holds enormous potential for Pacific private sector development, with estimates that it could add more than $5 billion to the regional gross domestic product, boost government revenue by $1 billion, and create nearly 300,000 jobs in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector by 2040.^a Yet little attention has been given to the Pacific’s gender divide—the differences between Pacific men and women in digital technology access and use—which poses a critical barrier to Pacific countries in realizing the full potential of the digital transformation.

In FY2023, PSDI partnered with the technology sector coalition, the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), for a comprehensive audit of the digital gender gap in the Pacific, focused on Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, and Tonga. The audit was conducted by the World Wide Web Foundation and local partners, including the PNG Digital ICT Cluster, Samoa Information Technology Associations, and Tonga Women in ICT Incorporated, through a series of surveys, interviews, desk research, and policy analysis.

The audit employed the Women’s Rights Online Global Methodology,^b and assessed countries against five key themes: internet access translating into women’s empowerment, affordability, digital skills and education, relevant content and services for women, and online safety. The policy environment and collection of sex-disaggregated data were also assessed.

The results of the audit were published in a regional synthesis report and individual scorecards were produced for PNG, Samoa, and Tonga. The findings underscored the gap in digital technology access and usage between Pacific men and women. If women lack internet access, they are prevented from accessing vital online information and services, perpetuating and exacerbating existing inequalities. The study also highlighted the urgency for governments of Pacific developing member countries to invest in affordable internet access and digital education to bridge to gender divide.

PSDI has supported the widespread dissemination of the report and scorecard findings. This has included support for high-profile launches for the scorecards in Samoa and Tonga, with engagement from the relevant ministries, and the production of an awareness-raising video for International Women’s Day, which in 2023 had the theme of “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” The video has been viewed more than 800 times. PSDI also published a blog featuring the key findings from the report and scorecards on the Australian National University’s DevPolicy Blog, titled The Pacific digital transformation: is everyone a winner?

Partners have also undertaken widespread advocacy on the back of the report findings, including participation in 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This included a PNG-focused side event, with the theme of “Leveraging financing for inclusive digital transformation and gender-transformative innovation,” and drawing on the scorecard results in their International Women’s Day activities.

This case study is taken from the PSDI FY2023 Annual Progress Report. Read the full report here.

a World Bank. 2017. Pacific Possible. Washington, DC.

b World Wide Web Foundation. 2016. Digital Gender Gap Audit Toolkit. http://webfoundation.org/docs/2016/12/WRO-Digital-Gender-Gap-Audit_ Toolkit.pdf