Official proof of identity is fundamental to an individual’s ability to enforce their rights and secure access to a wide range of vital services such as healthcare, education, mobile connectivity and social protections. For this reason, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have set a specific target to provide every person with a legal identity, including birth registration, by 2030.1 Although there is currently a deficit of gender-disaggregated data relating to access to identification, it is presumed that of the 1.1 billion people in the world who are unable to prove their identity, a disproportionate number are women and girls who, in many countries, remain particularly vulnerable as well as socially, politically and financially excluded. Our latest Digital Identity programme report shares insights and opportunities for mobile operators to help close the divide.
