While there remains a persistent gap in mobile ownership and access to mobile Internet, the latest GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report shows that the gender divide is narrowing.

Driven by trends in South Asia, where a record number of women now use mobile Internet services, the gender gap shrank in low- and middle-income countries from 19% in 2019 to 15% in 2020.

The GSMA report showed an estimated 112-million more women in low- and middle-income countries started using the mobile Internet last year.

The fourth edition of the yearly study shows significant gains in South Asia, which had the most significant gender gap in 2019 when women were 50% less likely than men to use mobile Internet.

For the first time, the gender gap in mobile Internet use in South Asia, at 36%, is now on a par with sub-Saharan Africa, where the gender gap remains largely unchanged at 37%.

However, while 58% of women now use mobile Internet, there are still 234-million fewer women than men without access.

Further, mobile ownership and use remain unequal.

While 83% of women across low- and middle-income countries now own a mobile phone, women are still less likely than men to have access to mobile phones and use mobile services.

“This is particularly true for women who are the most underserved, including those who have low literacy levels, low incomes, live in a rural area or have a disability,” the report shows.

Across low- and middle-income countries, women are 7% less likely to own a mobile phone – down from 8% in 2019 – which translates into 143-million fewer women mobile phone owners than men.

The overall gender gap in mobile ownership remains largely unchanged; however, the gender gap in smartphone ownership has reduced for the first time since 2017, with women 15% less likely to own a smartphone than men, down from 20% in 2019.

“While Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns have increased the need for connectivity, in some countries, there are early signs that the pandemic may be disproportionately negatively impacting women’s handset ownership,” says GSMA director-general Mats Granryd.