While over 85% of the world's population live in areas with existing cellular coverage, only about 30% of the total population accesses the Internet. Of those that do have access to internet in developing countries, almost 25% less are women than men, meaning that for every four men who have access to the Internet, and in turn benefit from its opportunities, only three women have that same advantage.

The gender gap varies per region, for instance in Latin America it is a fairly small 10%, but in sub-Saharan Africa, the gender gap almost reaches 50%¹. This equates to more than 200 million fewer women than men in developing countries that have access to the Internet.

While equal access to the Internet may, to some, seem far less noteworthy compared to issues such as hunger, illiteracy or child mortality, it could actually contribute to addressing longstanding inequalities on a broader scale. In a growing digital world where people are becoming increasingly dependent on the Internet, for instance to apply for jobs, to generate income such as through e-commerce, or to gain access to market information or to education, unequal access to the Internet will become a growing barrier to progress.

Sharing stories "behind the business plan"

To contribute towards closing that gap, UN Women has now launched iLearn, a global mobile-learning platform for and by women entrepreneurs. Through collaboration with Facebook, EmpowerWomen.org is making iLearn accessible to women in developing countries who use regular cell and smart phones and offers learning resources, webinars, online courses and other curated materials on the basic concepts of women’s economic empowerment, as well as on specific thematic areas (policy, employment, workplace, entrepreneurship, resources, agriculture, energy and the environment, leadership and data/statistics) to strengthen their capacity.

By sharing the stories "behind the business plan", showcasing their success and explaining how they overcame challenges, women can inspire, motivate and help other women to start or grow their own venture. Three inspiring women that won a SEED Award were selected to showcase their business model:

Rusia Orikiriza from Oribags, a 2010 SEED Winner from Uganda, explains how to start small and overcome challenges using your skills, read more…

Adisa Lansah Yakubu from The Shea Economic Empowerment Program (SEEP), 2010 SEED Winner from Ghana, illustrates how to motivate and train your employees and prepare them to help you grow your business, read more…

Joyce Kyalema from Pumpkin Value Addition Enterprise, 2013 SEED Winner from Uganda, shows how to get more customers and grow your business by adding value to your product, read more…

 

Join them now on UN Women's iLEARN platform to share your experiences or learn from others!

---