Closing the gender digital divide: Why women's voices must shape connectivity policy

A few years ago, during a visit to a rural community in Southeast Asia, a woman told me she relied on neighbours to look up school information for her children because she didn't have a mobile phone of her own. I've heard versions of that story across the region, and it stays with me because it shows how opportunity can slip away quietly, one unreceived message at a time.

Across Asia Pacific, mobile connectivity is expanding quickly. 5G rollouts, digital financial services and new use cases are reshaping economies. Yet GSMA data continues to show a stubborn reality: women remain less likely than men to own a mobile phone or use mobile internet. This is not only about access or devices - it limits income, restricts access to essential services and reduces women's ability to participate fully in society.

What worries me most is how easily this gap can widen if inclusion is treated as something to "add later". As governments and operators work to extend coverage and meet rising data demand, we have to make sure women are not left behind. That means addressing affordability, online safety and digital skills at the same time as building networks. It means designing policies on spectrum, digital identity and mobile financial services with women's needs in mind. And it means relying on gender‑disaggregated data to understand whether we are genuinely making progress.

There are reasons to feel encouraged. Across Asia Pacific, more policymakers and industry partners recognise that when women can participate fully in the digital economy, communities become more resilient and economies grow.

I've seen this recognition up close through the GSMA APAC Women Digital Leadership Awards, where I serve as a judge. Reading the submissions is always grounding. They show how much expertise exists across the region - often in places where women still face barriers to mobile use. The stories in those applications remind me that when women gain the skills, confidence and tools to engage with the digital world, whole communities feel the benefits. 

To the women stepping into telecom policy roles, I want to say this clearly: your voice matters. The decisions being shaped today will determine who participates in tomorrow's digital economy. We need women in the rooms where those decisions are made - not as a symbolic gesture, but because it leads to better outcomes.

A future where connectivity reaches everyone is within reach, but it won't happen by chance. It calls for deliberate policy choices, steady collaboration and leadership that reflects the diversity of the people we serve.