Document Type
Panel Presentation
Publication Date
6-10-2023
Keywords
gender equality, gender discrimination, digital technology, digital gender gap, women and technology, MENA region, Iran, mobile access
Abstract
While the 17% gender gap in mobile internet use in the MENA region reveals that women have less access to the benefits of mobile money apps and other technology, 60% of women in the region do go online via mobile phones to make purchases, access credit, send money to family members, assist in their children’s education, receive government benefits, and engage in other activities that improve their lives. Barriers preventing women from mobile internet access, however, typically fall into three categories: lack of access, illiteracy and/or lack of digital skills, and safety concerns. The author participated in a panel presentation associated with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, where the March 2023 topic focused on digital strategies for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. The panel, consisting of members of the Women’s Freedom Forum, a United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)-accredited NGO, included American women born in Iran who shared examples of the impact of digital technology on women in Iran and elsewhere.
Department
Educational Leadership
Conference Name
2023 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
Conference Place
New York, NY
Recommended Citation
Felix, A. (2023, June 10). Benefits and barriers: Women's access to mobile tech in Iran and the MENA region [Panel presentation]. Women's Freedom Forum Parallel Event with the 2023 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (NGO CSW67), New York, NY, United States. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/ed_leadership_fac_pubs/23/
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