Gender Digital Divide Assessment: Uzbekistan
Nationwide assessment of the status of the digital divide between genders in Uzbekistan
Description
The Gender Digital Divide Assessment investigates the extent of the gender digital divide in Uzbekistan, and is based on a theory of change model that measures the country’s starting point (Foundations), the inputs (Enablers) that contribute to reducing the gender digital divide, the outcomes (Impacts) of such efforts and the role of women in society (Cross-cutting themes). The factors assessed in the Foundations section are “online safety and security”; while digital skills and literacy programmes, relevant content, and laws and policies are covered in the Enablers section; “use and leadership” in the Impact section; and “social norms, registrations and policies'' in the Cross-Cutting themes section.The assessment is based on data drawn from a desk research, expert interviews, and online and offline surveys/interviews. The desk research included an analysis of the regulations, the current government and donor initiatives, and other available data. The online survey was applied to 8607 respondents (49 percent of whom were women), while the Offline Survey-Interviews targeted a gender-balanced sample of respondents (1050) in six regions of Uzbekistan. The main goal of the study is to identify the existing gaps and barriers preventing the equal digital inclusion of genders and to provide key recommendations to government and international organizations. The report lists the priority actions required to bridge the gender digital divide in Uzbekistan.
Technology
The assessment includes statistics on the gender dimension of internet usage, and the level of connectivity and access to internet services via smartphones and desktop computers in Uzbekistan. The survey garners data on the use of e-commerce/marketplaces, the ability to make online payments, and the use of mobile apps and social media, addressing both basic and advanced digital skills, such as programming and computer maintenance. Among the technologies mentioned in the assessment are instant messaging platforms such as Telegram, as the main source of communication, which is covered in the Foundations section; the availability of such programs as Tumaris Tech, GAP, IT women Uz, TechBika, Technovation Girls Uzbekistan, One Million Uzbek Coders and IT women Karakalpakstan, covered in the Enablers section; and the limited use of digital services for financial transactions (Payme, Click, Apelsin, etc.), and Telegram, Odnoklassniki and Instagram as social networks in the Impact section.
Target
Civil society organizations, the public sector and the private sector can all make use of the assessment’s findings as baseline data for policy-making or collective actions, and can refer to the related recommendations to address the root causes of the gender digital divide in Uzbekistan. The assessment can also spearhead the development of digital programs/tools related to education and agriculture in Uzbek, as currently only entertainment-based tools make use of the local language. Finally, academia and research institutions can benefit from the statistics provided in the report to support educational programmes.
Impact
From a research point of view, the assessment can serve as a strong baseline and benchmark reference for future studies, being based on data garnered during an extensive survey in Uzbekistan that was carried out to identify the current digital landscape in the region, the main challenges faced by the public in accessing and using digital technologies, and the root causes of the gender digital divide. The data derived from the survey could contribute to the creation of a solid and scientific database and the formulation of recommendations of how to bridge the divide, thus contributing to SDG4. In recognition of the importance of digital skills and access to digital resources for the country's growth, the report offers potentially significant insights into the enhancement of the use of technology in Uzbekistan, particularly among women. The recommendations include the implementation of measures to increase the level of connectivity of in communal areas, the development and inclusion of cyber ethics and cyber hygiene subjects in school curricula, the provision of support to the media and civil society in the generation of interesting digital and women-related content, the selection of a set of international indices (such as ITU, GSMA, GDDI, UNDESA) for the measurement of the gender digital divide based on international standards, and the inclusion of a data collection requirement in government programmes.
Partners
Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan; WinDt Consulting; Ergo analytics; International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Four Betters
Better life
