By Ann Mei Chang, Senior Advisor for Women and Technology in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State

We have seen evidence over and over again that investing in women and girls is one of the most direct and effective ways to produce economic and social progress. We have also seen how information and communication technologies (or ICT) have accelerated the pace of change by introducing efficiencies, opening new markets, and creating technology-related jobs. Now, imagine the tremendous possibilities that can arise from empowering women with ICT. The promise is real, though there are a number of challenges to navigate.

One of the most challenging issues is gender inequity in the access to technology, whether that be a mobile phone or Internet connectivity. Closing the gender gap presents an enormous opportunity for economic development. The GSMA mWomen Program, launched by Secretary Clinton in October 2010, identified that women are 21 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone in developing countries. mWomen aims to halve that gap in the next three years. The Internet is also out of reach for many women, who typically have more limited incomes and are unable to afford service costs, which can be prohibitively expensive in many low-income countries. Certainly, without access to technology, women will not be able to take advantage of the many potential benefits technology can enable for their individual and family’s livelihood, education, and well-being — as a consequence, their contributions to economic and social progress will not be as significant…

Read more to learn more of the hurdles women face in accessing ICT and watch the video of Ann Mei speaking at the USAID Global Broadband and Innovations Tech Talk series on “How to Address Gender in ICT Projects.”