2023-Public-Sector-Perspectives

• SDG 5: Gender equality. Improving internet and mobile technology access is critical. According to ITU, 250 million fewer women were online than men in 2017. 8 Globally, 62% of men use the internet compared with 57% of women. Although the digital gender divide has been narrowing in all world regions and is virtually eliminated in the developed world, wide gaps persist in least developed countries (where 31% of men are online, compared to just 19% of women) and in landlocked developing countries (where 38% of men compared to 27% of women). 9 Mobile telephony is especially important in facilitating internet access for women in developing markets where fixed line services are less prevalent, or may be harder to access for women. Expanding access to mobile devices contributes to SDG 5 by enhancing women’s lives and increasing their participation in the economy. It also creates the possibility of a greater leadership for women in the technology sector, furthering women’s economic empowerment. Improved access to mobile connectivity also advances social and economic development in the emerging markets, and contributes to SDG 1 by expanding the reach of mobile money and driving financial inclusion. 10 In India, an all-female team of product engineers at Vodafone Idea developed Sakhi, a free mobile service, that has helped to increase the independence of women by overcoming key barriers that prevent Indian women from accessing and using mobile. As well as improving access, Sakhi is designed to give women the confidence to safely travel away from the home to pursue education and employment opportunities. The opt-in women-only service includes a set of security and safety features, including a system to alert predefined contacts at the touch of a button, the availability of emergency credit, and a private top-up process that does not require the user to reveal personal phone numbers to agents, who are usually men. As a result, it addresses women’s concerns about personal safety, both relating to owning a mobile phone and more general safety issues faced by women. Since its launch, millions of women nationwide have signed up for the service. 11 Global Head of ICG Innovation Gulru Atak shared her remarks on how Citi and other innovators can support gender equality: “Recognizing the enabling impact of financial institutions on financial inclusion, we continue to support fintechs driving change, and bringing innovative solutions to financial inclusion. Recently, we partnered with Financial Alliance for Women in their annual hackathon. The Alliance Hack supports fintechs with the potential to scale business solutions to unlock the full power of the female economy. We see great alignment with the Alliance’s mission to accelerate the financial power of all women and Citi’s mission of enabling growth and economic progress.” 8 https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/icts-to-achieve-the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals.aspx 9 https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/2021/11/15/the-gender-digital-divide/ 10 https://www.gsma.com/betterfuture/sdg-5-gender-equality 11 https://www.vodafone.com/news/inclusion/women-safety-mobile-sakhi-india 60 Emerging Technology for Emerging Markets: How Innovation Can Drive Sustainable Development