By Norma Fernandez, CEO, EveryoneOn
For the last ten years, EveryoneOn has been focused on connecting people to the world’s most powerful tool - the internet. As a result, we’ve spent a lot of time in under-resourced communities across El Paso, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Milwaukee, Memphis, Tampa and many other amazing places, driving broadband adoption, distributing computers and delivering digital skills trainings. And there is one thing that stands out: women, and specifically women of color, have been the primary participants in our digital inclusion programs. For example, in the last two years, almost 90% of participants in our digital skills training programs have been women.
Who are these women? We’ve learned from surveys, conversations and observations that they are: mothers who found themselves helping their K-12 children with remote learning during the height of the pandemic, caregivers who scheduled telemedicine appointments for their aging parents, community college students who needed introduction classes to computers and the internet and then led their communities by becoming digital navigators. These women are the experts on the digital divide and digital equity because they have stood at the center of what it means not to be connected.
As state and local agencies position themselves to tap unprecedented federal funding that will expand broadband infrastructure and develop digital equity plans–thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act–these agencies must engage low-income women of color to inform the plans. To start, baseline information on how and where under-resourced women experience digital inequities is crucial. Unfortunately, there is limited data on the digital divide and women in the U.S. Conduct a search, and the data does not exist–most of it takes a global view which highlights the need to address digital inequities for women abroad (EveryoneOn strongly supports advancing digital equity in the U.S. and across the globe).
At EveryoneOn, we are committed to learning more about the broadband adoption journeys of under-resourced women of color and elevating their stories to ensure digital equity efforts are inclusive and reflect the communities they intend to benefit. But we cannot do this alone. We’ve identified a few ways our partners, policymakers, the philanthropic sector, research groups and others can support expanding the understanding of and tackling the gender digital divide in the U.S.:
Invest in research to find out exactly how women are impacted, in particular under-resourced women of color, a population we know is disproportionately affected but little data is available;
Fund digital inclusion programs that serve or prioritize women;
Provide wrap-around support (i.e., childcare, transportation, computers, access to digital skill trainings and professional certificate programs) for women as they embark on their digital journey to ensure they have a clear path forward for success in a fast-changing digital landscape;
Many digital inclusion initiatives and programs are run by women, including at EveryoneOn. Investing in and amplifying the work of these women leaders would expand their capacity and impact; and
Intentionally and strategically include women - new broadband adopters, novice digital learners, older adults, immigrants, mothers, young adults, and others - in digital equity planning efforts.
Women are showing up to do the work - to learn, to help their families and communities. We must do everything in our power to support them. I invite you to get in touch to discuss how we can close the gender digital divide together. Email us at support@everyonone.org.