NAME: PIRTHVI RAJ

CLASS: IGCSE2B

SUBJECT: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

(Question)

Why there is a digital divide in rural and urban areas?

The term digital divide is used to identify the gap of access to the internet and ICTs between
rural and urban areas people. The ICTs may include (mobile phone, personal computer and
etc). (Hanna, 2021). Lot of human beings believe that having access to the internet is
compulsory and it is also a basic human right. Every human should have balanced access to
information technology and opportunities which are available from internet connected
computers. Sadly, there is not a balanced distribution for getting access to computing
devices and the internet. Several people have no internet access and several do have. This
differences in access is known as digital divide. (Fox, n.d).

Issue 1: access gap:

This is about the certain population which is unable to access the ICTs. The access gap is
usually caused due to socioeconomic inequality in different regions of the world as common
is not obtainable everywhere to implement on infrastructure that facilitate internet access
and not everybody has enough resources to afford devices and connections that would
allow them to connected. (REPSOL, n.d.)
In the presence of early innovation of ICTs. Although use of ICTs ha became important all
over the world. A recent 2018 report says that more than 50% of the world economy is now
online. It is a good news but on the other hand other half of the world population is still
offline. Majority of 50% are in growing countries, it is clearly said that most of the world
population which is offline are living in the rural area of the country. (Henry, n.d.)
In china statics from the ministry of science and technology in 2003 circulated that the total
number of the internet users in rural areas of china was 600000. This was in sharp contrast
to the country’s entire number of internet users which was more than 60 million. In Africa
the continent overall purses to lag in the availability, affordability and make use of ICTs. As
stated by ITU Africa remains the part of the world which has the lowest ICT development
index (IDU). They observe that the average value for this region in IDU 2017 is 2.64 points,
little greater than half of the world average of 5.11. African countries included in IDU 2017
fall into the lowest (LCC) quartile. (Herny, n.d.)
It has been noticed that although 60 percent of the family circle had internet access at home
in 2018. Highly less than 20% in 2005. Hardly half of the family circle had a computer at the
place of residence. There can be many more narrowly specific elements including issues of
nations, discrimination, wrongheaded government policy and geographic difficulties in some
countries like misguided regulatory policy on spectrum allocation can lead to higher cost.
The global system for mobile communication (GSMA) approximately that in 2014 taxes put
on directly mobile users represented 20% of the total cost of mobile ownership (TMCO) over
110 countries. (Henry, n.d.)

Issue 2: digital gender gap:

This is basically the gap in which the women reduced the access of ICT. Worldwide 62% of
men use the internet compared to 57% of women. (REPSOL, n.d.). In mainly grown countries
men and women make a hard effort to afford technology and internet access but on the
other hand girls are also being stopped from using digital tools. So without the same
amount of access to technology and the internet compared to the boys, girls and adult
women are not likely to participate in the digital world. So if they don’t participate then it
may affect every feature of their entire life plus how they speak out. Furthermore if girls and
adult women are not participating in creating digital tools and online content then it causes
inequalities of gender. This gender technology gap also negatively crashes the country’s
growth and development. If 600 million women are connected to the digital world in 3
years, this would be an amazing rise in global GDP between US$13 billion and US$18 billion.
(Plan International, n.d.)
The digital gender divide in Africa continues to increase as the majority of the internet users
ere mensince 2013, further more ladies in growing countries are 14% less able to own a
mobile phone and have internet access then men. In 2022, the group of social mobile
association (GSMA) announced that 46% of the male population in Africa used the internet
but internet usage among the women population is 34%. (ACCORD,n.d.)
The decomposition analysis between the rural and urban digital divide for the ladies sample.
In Pakistan the summary statics (Table A6) tells an average about rural VS urban ladies,
urban ladies are more educated, have ability to read and write more, have greater salary
belong to a rich family, and can buy any digital tool easily. According to this we can say that
rural areas ladies all these factors but in lesser amount of knowledge about all these factors
as compared to the urban areas ladies. As a result it causes a digital gender gap between
rural and urban areas of country. (Amber and chichaibelu, 2023).
Comparison of causes and consequences:
By comparing the causes and consequences of both issues with evidence we would be able
to derive the most important cause and consequences. In the presence of early innovations
of ICTs. According to the recent report which was given in 2018 that more than 50% of the
world economy is online now-days, which means that 50% of the population in every part of
the world is online. It is also written that the population which is offline is living in the rural
areas of the country. (Herny,n.d). In china, statics from the ministry of science and
technology in 2003 announced that total number of internet that is used in rural areas of
china was 600000. This was a sharp contrast to the country’s entire number of the internet
users which was more than 60 million. (Herny,n.d.). As stated by the ITU Africa remains the
part of the world which has the lowest ICT development index (IDU). They observe that the
average value for this region in IDU in 2017 Is 2.64 points, little greater than half of the
world average of 5.11 (Herny,n.d.). it has been noticed that 60 percent of the world’s family
circle had internet access a home in 2018. Highly less than 20% in 2005. Hardly half of the
family circle had a computer at a place where they are living. The global system for mobile
communication (GSMA) says that the approximately in 2014 taxes put on directly mobile
users, represented 20 percent of the total mobile ownership (TMCO) over 110 countries.
(Herny,n.d.). worldwide 62 percent of men use the internet compared to 57 percent of
women. So, without the same amount of access to the digital technology and internet, girls
and adult women are not likely to participate in our digital world. If they don’t participate
they it may affect their single feature of their life. If 600 million women are connected to the
digital world in 3 years then this would be an amazing rise in global GDP between US$13
billion and US$18 billion. (Plan International,n.d.). the digital divide in Africa counties to
increase, as more than 50 percent of internet users were men since 2013, furthermore
ladies in growing countries are 14 percent less able to own a mobile phone and have less
internet access than men. In the past year 2022 the group of social special mobile
association (GSMA) announced that 46 percent of the male population in Africa used the
internet and women usage is 34 percent. (ACCORD,n.d.). in Pakistan the decomposition
analysis between rural and urban digital divide for the ladies sample was taken and after
that, we can surely say that urban areas are well educated, have more knowledge of reading
and writing skills and belong to the rich family backgrounds. These all factors are in rural
ladies but is much lesser amount than urban areas ladies. (Amber and chichaibelu, 2023).

Course of action:
We can overcome the digital divide by improving the access requirements like, government
policies that encourage competition in domestic telecom, the government should not take
taxes on mobile phone and all ICT devices, the broadband plan should be developed, to
promote the better understanding and benefits of its use. These all solution can get people
greater access to devices and it can also overcome gender inequality and other biases that
are still in lot of growing countries. (Herny, n.d.). we can also overcome the digital gender
gap, empower smallholders, support women leadership. (UN Women –Headquarters, 2022).
Evaluation of source:
The articles citied in this research are relevant, and all of them have citations and reference
in proper way.(Hanna,2023) tell us about the definition and examples of the digital divide,
(Fox,n.d) give us information about the needs of human according to digital devices and
internet access, (REPSOL,n.d.) tell us about the definition of access gap and how it is caused,
(Herny,n.d.) in this we get the information about the world that how much population in
2018 was connected to the internet, (Herny,n.d.) in this we get knowledge of china and
Africa that how much people in china were using internet in 2003 and in Africa we came to
know about the affordability and availability of people to make use of ICT, (Herny,n.d.) this
tell us about the family that how much family had their own computer at their residential
place and how much people have their own mobile phone and what happened at (GSMA) in
2014 and (TMCO) over 110 countries, (REPSOL,n.d.) in this we get to know the definition of
digital gender gap and percentage of women and percentage of men using internet, (Plan
International,n.d.) in this we know that how girls are being stopped by using ICT and
internet and if they are stopped and they are not using ICT and internet then at that time
what will be the side affect for not using internet and digital tools and if they join they how
much rise will be in global GDP,(ACCORD,n.d.) in this we came to know about the digital
gender gap in Africa and what is the percentage of men using internet and what is the
percentage of women using internet, (Amber and chichaibelu,2023) in this we know about
the Pakistan’s rural and urban areas ladies sample and after that result came we can see
how much difference there is in rural and urban ladies, which then resulted into digital
gender gap.

Reflection:
My perspective was that the digital divide is a great danger to the world because many
people are still in the world who don’t have access to ICT’s and internet although all things
are being online and due to this many people think that they are not the part of the world. I
have chosen this topic because I know some cases to related to digital divide and I thought
that this problem is not having any kind of solution. But when I did some research about this
topic then my perspective totally changed because I knew that this problem have solution
but we can only overcome this problem by involving countries government as single person
cannot overcome this problem and we should also support each other.
(Total word count: 1895) excluding bibliography.

Bibliography:
.Hanna, K.T. (2021). What Is The Digital Divide and How Is It Being Bridged? [online] WhatIs.com. Available at:
https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/digital-divide.

Fox, P. (n.d.). The global digital divide (article). [online] Khan Academy. Available at:
https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computers-and-internet/xcae6f4a7ff015e7d:the-internet/
xcae6f4a7ff015e7d:the-digital-divide/a/the-global-digital-divide.
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%20include%20the%20cost%20of.

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ACCORD. (n.d.). Africa’s Digital Gender Divide. [online] Available at: https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/africas-digital-
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UN Women – Headquarters. (2022). Five ways to build gender equality and sustainability. [online] Available at:
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