Having discussed the various reasons to be critical of both big data and of the available quantitative data on gender and security, I proceed to an overview of the gender gap in technology access. This section begins by presenting some of the available knowledge on gender gaps in technology development, proceeds to discuss gender gaps in technology use and how these can be contextualized within research on FSS, and applies these insights to a case study of regional issues in gender and technology in selected South Asian countries.

The analysis broadly makes the case that gendered concerns about online security should be taken more seriously in discussions about the digital gender gap, which tend to parse the issue through development-focused frameworks. It further calls for reflection upon the roles that various actors – including developers, multinational corporations, and governments – may play in addressing these issues. Finally, the analysis examines the potential role of civil society, which is already calling attention to problems related to inequality (including gender inequality) and digital rights in some parts of the world. In all, I argue that action on the digital gender gap must take into account the extent to which the issue is a question of security, as well as development. Given the range of security and safety issues that women face online (matters discussed in greater detail in the following section of the book), an ethical approach to bridging the gendered digital divide must work to create a safer and more inclusive digital environment.

Gender inequality in technology development

In terms of technology development and representation in the profession, sources universally agree that women are underrepresented. Additionally, there is compelling evidence that this underrepresentation results in androcentric outcomes, producing technology that at best fails to serve women and, at worst, may actively cause harm.

Drawing on statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Association of University Women, D’Ignazio and Klein (2020) estimate that women make up 26 per cent of technology professionals working in the United States. This number has actually declined over time, with the number of women receiving degrees in computer science peaking in the mid-1980s at 37 per cent.