Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
The digital gender divide remains a pressing issue in developing countries, where disparities in access to and use of digital technologies restrict women’s ability to fully participate in the digital economy. This research investigates how women in Ghana access and use digital technologies, the barriers they face, and the extent to which digital inclusion fosters economic participation. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews with 16 women across urban and rural contexts reveal persistent infrastructural, economic, and sociocultural barriers that limit digital access. Despite these constraints, women leverage mobile phones, social media, and digital financial services to expand entrepreneurial activities, pursue education, and enhance financial independence. The findings show that digital access is both an enabler of women’s economic empowerment and a site of structural inequality that is shaped by affordability, digital literacy, and gender norms, demonstrating how equitable digital access can enhance women’s economic participation and advance gender-inclusive development. Keywords Digital inclusion, Digital gender divide, Women’s economic participation.
Paper Number
1038
Recommended Citation
Nimako, Naana Darkwaa, "Digital Inclusion and Women’s Economic Participation: Opportunities and Constraints" (2026). AMCIS 2026 Proceedings. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2026/sig_si/sig_si/1
Digital Inclusion and Women’s Economic Participation: Opportunities and Constraints
The digital gender divide remains a pressing issue in developing countries, where disparities in access to and use of digital technologies restrict women’s ability to fully participate in the digital economy. This research investigates how women in Ghana access and use digital technologies, the barriers they face, and the extent to which digital inclusion fosters economic participation. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews with 16 women across urban and rural contexts reveal persistent infrastructural, economic, and sociocultural barriers that limit digital access. Despite these constraints, women leverage mobile phones, social media, and digital financial services to expand entrepreneurial activities, pursue education, and enhance financial independence. The findings show that digital access is both an enabler of women’s economic empowerment and a site of structural inequality that is shaped by affordability, digital literacy, and gender norms, demonstrating how equitable digital access can enhance women’s economic participation and advance gender-inclusive development. Keywords Digital inclusion, Digital gender divide, Women’s economic participation.
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