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Uzbekistan Gender Digital Divide Assessment

07/21/2022

In partnership with UNDP Uzbekistan, Women in Digital Transformation (WinDt) Consulting produced a report that shed light on the Gender Digital Divide Assessment (GDDA) conducted in Uzbekistan from July to September 2022. This comprehensive nationwide analysis, based on the international Gender Digital Divide Index framework, scrutinized the foundations, enablers, and impacts surrounding the gender digital divide in the country.

Overview of Findings

The GDDA reveals a nuanced picture of digital access and skills in Uzbekistan, with both progress and challenges highlighted.

  • Internet Usage: 83% of women in Uzbekistan use the internet daily, primarily at home and through mobile connections. However, disparities emerge in specific locations, such as Bakhmal in the Jizzakh region, where fixed internet access is limited to 21% of men and 11% of women.
  • Rural vs. Urban Divide: In rural areas, only 11% of men and 7% of women access the internet in public spaces, while in urban locations like Tashkent, 49% of men and 40% of women use the internet outside their homes or workplaces
  • Smartphone Ownership: Contrary to the global trend favoring men, 87% of women and 83% of men in Uzbekistan own smartphones. However, in certain locations like Bakhmal, smartphone ownership is notably lower.

 

Key Factors Influencing Digital Skills Attainment

The GDDA identifies four pivotal factors influencing digital skills development:

  1. Gender Disparity: Women’s digital skills lag behind men by nearly 24%, with specific gaps in basic (23%), standard (21%), and advanced (26%) digital skills.
  2. Age: Women over 35 are nearly 10% less digitally skilled than their younger counterparts.
  3. Income: Higher income correlates with a 36% higher likelihood of advanced digital skills.
  4. Education: Higher education attainment is associated with a 19% higher likelihood of advanced digital skills.
  5. Marriage as a Digital Skills Stagnation Point:

A notable revelation from the data is that both men and women tend to halt their digital skills development after marriage.

 

Financial and organizational support for the research provided by the UNDP projects “Advancing Digital Transformation in Uzbekistan” and Improved Public Service Delivery and Enhanced Governance in Rural Uzbekistan.

 

Click on the link to learn more about Gender Digital Divide Assessment: Uzbekistan | United Nations Development Programme (undp.org)