Pakistan’s Mobile Gender Gap Persists: Millions of Women Offline
Millions of Pakistani women remain disconnected from essential mobile internet and smartphone technology, contributing to a persistent and widening mobile gender gap. The “Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025” by GSMA and Ipsos highlights that restrictive social norms, significant safety concerns, and issues of affordability are key factors limiting women’s digital access across the country. This challenge is not unique to Pakistan, as the report, surveying over 17,000 individuals in 15 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), reveals that overall progress in closing this global mobile gender divide has stalled in 2024. Globally, approximately 235 million fewer women are online compared to men, and 230 million fewer women own smartphones.
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GSMA Report: Pakistan’s Digital Divide Widens, Economic Impact Looms
In Pakistan, deeply ingrained social and cultural barriers are a major impediment. Nearly 28% of Pakistani women who are aware of mobile internet report that their family or husband disapproves of their usage, a significantly higher percentage than for men. Furthermore, safety and security concerns are a critical deterrent, with half of Pakistani women aware of mobile internet but not using it citing safety fears as their primary reason. These issues, combined with high handset costs, create significant hurdles for women to afford and access smartphones and reliable internet. Regionally, South Asia, including Pakistan, exhibits the highest mobile internet gender gap at 32%, surpassing Sub-Saharan Africa.
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The GSMA report underscores the substantial economic consequences of this digital divide, noting that closing the mobile internet gender gap in LMICs could inject an estimated $1.3 trillion into GDP between 2023 and 2030. To address these pressing challenges, the report urges mobile operators, policymakers, and development organizations to prioritize reducing handset and data costs, enhancing digital skills, improving online safety, and developing gender-sensitive policies. For Pakistan specifically, tackling rigid social norms and building robust trust in digital security are identified as crucial steps to ensure greater participation of women in the digital realm.
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