Gender and Digital Collaborative: Concept Note
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International Rice Research Institute
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"Digital innovations are transforming agrifood systems, but a persistent digital gender divide threatens to leave women and socially excluded groups behind. In low- and middle-income countries, over 400 million women still do not own a mobile phone, and they are 8% less likely than men to own one (GSMA, 2024). Globally, 70% of men use the internet, compared to just 65% of women. In LMICs, women are 15% less likely to use mobile internet than men (ITU, 2024; GSMA, 2024). This gap is even wider in rural areas, where women face greater barriers – from affordability and digital illiteracy to restrictive social norms – limiting their access to digital tools (FAO, 2023). Such disparities mean that without deliberate intervention, digitalization can exacerbate existing inequalities. Many digital tools in agriculture have not worked well for women and socially excluded farmers because of narrow, techno-centric design that overlooks gendered needs and desires. As a result, women’s adoption and use of these tools remain low. Yet evidence shows that if provided with equal access to digital technology and education, women can take a more active and effective role in agrifood systems, boosting productivity and food security (FAO, 2023; Nchanji et al., 2024). The proposed Gender and Digital Collaborative will serve as a cross-cutting initiative jointly led by CGIAR’s Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Accelerator and the Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA). This Collaborative will drive the co-development of a gender and digital strategy that ensures digital tools, data systems, and AI innovations in agrifood are inclusive by design, ethically implemented, and empowering for women and socially excluded groups. By shaping inclusive digital ecosystems in agrifood systems, the Collaborative will help unlock the transformative potential of digital technology for all, while preventing unintended consequences that deepen inequality, thereby accelerating progress toward CGIAR’s goals on gender equality and sustainable food systems."
Palabras clave
digital agriculture, food systems, gender equality, women, social inclusion, information and communication technologies, digital divide, capacity development, innovation systems, food security, collaboration