Data on Women and Technology: An Expert Consultation in the Republic of Korea

Technology impacts multiple aspects of women and men’s lives, but it does not reach everyone equally. Inequalities in access to technological assets, infrastructure, and digital literacy skills often mean those from certain socio-demographic backgrounds are less likely to use and benefit from technology, for example, older women or those living in rural areas. Yet, the scarcity of comprehensive and sex-disaggregated data on women and technology results in fragmented and incomplete information. Filling such data gaps is necessary to reveal how women and men interact with technology differently. Gender data on technology can also be a powerful advocacy tool to bring attention to the issue and inform related policies.

In light of this, the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality convened an expert consultation in December 2022, to shed light on the gender differences in interactions with technology. The expert consultation also aimed to be a platform to share knowledge about the wider connections between gender equality, innovation, and technology. Twenty-six leading gender and data experts from UN Women, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Labour Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, Pulse Lab Jakarta, academia, civil society organizations, as well as national statistics offices, gathered to discuss gender differences in human interaction with technology and to conceptualize ways to measure such differences.

The brief note covers the discussions in the expert consultation with the following thematic areas:

1. What are we measuring?
2. Gender snapshot on women and technology
3. Digital platform employment and decent work
4. Online gender-based violence and gendered disinformation
5. Supporting online sexual abuse victims
6. Inclusive approach of data innovation with a gender perspective
7. Using technology to monitor the implementation of the SDGs in Malaysia
8. Data availability on women in STEM in the Republic of Korea
9. Integrating survey and geospatial data to advance linkages between climate and gender