GSMA | Women in the Digital Economy Fund: USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Partners Launch WiDEF

This event, which brought together leaders from the public and private sectors and civil society from around the world, was an opportunity to celebrate the start of this effort and learn how WiDEF will implement its ambitious vision. Representing the Biden-Harris Administration at today's inaugural event was Rachel Vogelstein, deputy director of the White House Gender Policy Council.

Promoting access to digital technology for all women and girls is essential to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This will help ensure that everyone has access to economic opportunity and advancement, as well as government services, education and healthcare.

In low- and middle-income countries, nearly 1.5 billion women lack access to online services. As of 2022, there were 259 million more men than women worldwide using the Internet; a gap that has cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion. Closing the digital gender gap would increase economic activity by approximately $524 billion by 2025.

WiDEF is managed by CARE consortium partners, the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP) and the GSMA Foundation. The consortium will collaborate with leading industry organizations to effectively engage local and global private sector actors and funders to advance a shared set of commitments to close the digital gender divide.

“WiDEF is about putting millions of women at the center of connectivity and information programming. CARE brings to the effort our strength in locally led, gender-focused programming in more than 100 countries. “The consortium’s collective focus on technology, policy and gender advocacy offers the greatest opportunity yet to create and sustain an Internet that works for the women who could benefit most from it.” said Revi Sterling, WiDEF Technical Director and CARE Senior Technical Director, Digital Inclusion.

“The launch of WiDEF is indeed a special moment, reflecting real commitment and determination to address the persistent digital gender gap and open up possibilities for women in the digital economy. GDIP is committed to the digital inclusion of women and we look forward to advocating alongside our global partners to advance this collective effort.” said Sonia Jorge, Executive Director of the GDIP.

“Closing the digital gender divide has been at the heart of the GSMA Foundation's work for over a decade, and we are extremely honored to play an active role in managing the Women in the Digital Economy Fund. We now expect to receive applications for the first round launched today and for two additional rounds to be announced later this year, focused on large private sector players and India specifically.” said Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Director of Mobile Development at GSMA.

WiDEF will support and fund programs that promote digital access and affordability; develop relevant products and tools; provide digital literacy and skills training; promote online safety; and invest in sex-disaggregated data and research. It will support, wherever possible, women-led and gender-transformative solutions, products and tools and invest heavily to ensure that the voices and institutions closest to the digital gender divide are central to the effort.

As part of today's event, WiDEF announced the first call for applications, inviting local institutions from around the world to apply to receive funding and support from WiDEF. Applications must be submitted by May 6, 2024.