ABSTRACT

The diffusion of information and communications technologies (ICT) has been uneven across the population, leading to a digital gender divide, which breaks the basic right of gender equality. Boosting the gender dimensions of ICT – in terms of access, use, capacity-building, and employment – can spur on the empowerment of women and gender equality. In fact, digital technologies are tools for empowerment and embody a leapfrog opportunity for women, enabling inclusive global economic growth. Nevertheless, within the European Union, two major findings stand out in the analysis of the digital divide: (i) the rising gap between the most digitally developed countries and those that are not as digitally developed; (ii) the gender gap, especially in what refers to ICT skills and employment. To analyze this gender gap the European Commission developed the composite indicator Women in Digital index. This paper tries to offer a complementary view of the digital gender gap in European countries, by applying some multivariate techniques to the indicators included in the aforementioned index. Our results then aim to complement those of the Women in Digital index, providing some insights of the relevant dimensions of the gender digital divide in the European Union and supporting policy-making in this field.