How can bringing the digital gender divide accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify how bridging the online gender divide can accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. At present 200 million fewer women are online than their male counterparts, highlighting the gender inequality that exists online. The disparity in the number of women online is having a detrimental effect on the ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations target date of 2030. The research first endeavours to understand the current discourse of what is understood by the term "digital gender divide" within contemporary literature. Drawing knowledge from existing literature, the reasons for the digital gender divide are critically assessed and conceptualised within an empirical framework before offering an insight into how such barriers can be addressed and overcome. The removal of such obstacles therefore paves the way for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to flourish. The evidence collated throughout the study details the intricate connection between sustainable development and gender equality, concluding that considerable advancements towards sustainable development can be made if more women are online.