Digital tools may widen gender gaps in developing economies, not close them

Digital technology adoption in the Mashreq region is not automatically helping women. Instead, it appears to be reinforcing existing gender inequalities in the labor market. This means women may fall further behind men in economic opportunity.

This paper suggests that simply introducing digital tools into developing economies does not guarantee progress for women. It looks like the opposite might be happening. The study finds that women are less likely to benefit from these technologies than men, potentially widening the economic gap. This challenges the assumption that technology is a universal equalizer.