GENDER & INCLUSION

The Gender Digital Divide

Examining how gender inequality intersects with digital economy barriers in Palestine, creating compounding disadvantages for women in tech

Data Source: PCBS Labor Force Survey, World Bank Gender Assessment (2022), PMA Financial Inclusion Reports

ICT Graduate Unemployment: The Gender Gap

42%

Women ICT Graduates

Unemployed

Contributing Factors

• Limited job opportunities in conservative sectors
• Employer bias against hiring women in tech roles
• Lack of family support for women in tech careers
• Workplace discrimination and harassment
• Mobility restrictions (checkpoints, curfews)
• Domestic responsibilities and caregiving burden

Intersectional Barriers

Women face compounding disadvantages: gender discrimination + occupation-related economic suppression + skills mismatch + lack of ecosystem support

23%

Men ICT Graduates

Unemployed

Still Faces Challenges

• 23% unemployment still high by regional standards
• Skills mismatch (theory-heavy curricula)
• Brain drain to Gulf states & Europe
• Limited senior roles (ecosystem immaturity)
• Movement restrictions (Area C, checkpoints)
• Market access barriers (no PayPal, etc.)

Comparative Context

While 23% male unemployment is high, the 19-percentage-point gender gap reveals systematic exclusion of women beyond occupation-wide challenges

Gender Unemployment Gap

Women ICT Graduates Unemployment 42%

Men ICT Graduates Unemployment 23%

Gender Gap 19 percentage points

Nearly double the unemployment rate for women compared to men

Digital Access & Skills Acquisition

88.6%

Individual Internet Use

Overall population (2023)

Gender parity unclear: Aggregate data masks potential access disparities in conservative households

86%

Smartphone Ownership

Household penetration

Device control matters: Women may have shared access but not personal control over devices

12.4%

Advanced Digital Skills

Workforce penetration

Gender breakdown missing: Likely concentrated among male workforce given employment gaps

Data Gap: Gendered Digital Access

Most Palestinian digital economy metrics are gender-neutral aggregates, obscuring critical disparities in device ownership, internet access quality, digital skills acquisition, and tech sector employment. The available unemployment gap (42% women vs 23% men) suggests deeper access and opportunity divides.

Under-Researched Areas

• Personal device ownership by gender
• Household internet control dynamics
• Women in tech startup founding rates
• Gender wage gaps in ICT sector
• Women's participation in tech accelerators

Why Data Matters

• Policies require sex-disaggregated data
• Interventions must target specific barriers
• Aggregate data hides intersectional issues
• Gender-blind metrics perpetuate inequity

Digital Financial Services: Gender Dimensions

Overall Financial Inclusion

25%

Transaction Accounts

(2022)

15.1%

Digital Financial Inclusion

(2024)

E-Wallet Adoption (2022)

Gaza (55% users, high-volume/low-value)

West Bank (53% funds, lower-volume/higher-value)

Gender-Specific Barriers

✗ Document Requirements

Women often lack required ID documents or need male guardian approval for accounts

✗ Financial Literacy

Lower digital and financial literacy among women due to education/employment gaps

✗ Economic Agency

Limited income sources reduce women's need/ability to open transaction accounts

✗ Trust & Security

Women face higher risks of digital fraud, harassment, and privacy violations online

Post-Crisis Humanitarian Pivot: Gender Implications

The transformation of e-wallets from commercial tools to humanitarian lifelines post-October 2023 has created unexpected opportunities for women's financial inclusion. Aid distribution via digital wallets (Jawwal Pay, PalPay) has forced enrollment of previously unbanked women, potentially accelerating inclusion through crisis necessity rather than designed policy.

Potential Gains

• Forced e-wallet adoption for aid receipt
• Women as primary household recipients
• Digital literacy through necessity
• Financial independence opportunity

Persistent Risks

• Male family control over aid funds
• Temporary adoption without infrastructure
• No pathway from aid to economic activity
• Post-crisis reversion to exclusion

Women in Tech Entrepreneurship

⚠️

Critical Data Gap

Of 250-300 Palestinian tech startups (pre-conflict), gender-disaggregated founder data is unavailable. No published studies document women's participation in tech startup founding, leadership, or VC funding receipt.

This absence is itself indicative: regions with robust women entrepreneurship ecosystems produce extensive data. The lack of Palestinian data suggests very low representation not worth measuring.

Ecosystem Barriers

Funding Access

VC/angel funding heavily male-dominated networks; women lack "warm introductions"

Accelerator Participation

No data on women's enrollment in Gaza Sky Geeks, Flow, or other accelerators

Mentorship Networks

Senior women tech leaders rare; creates mentorship vacuum for aspiring founders

Cultural Expectations

Startup culture (long hours, travel, networking) conflicts with caregiving roles

Regional Comparison Context

MENA Average (for comparison)

Women-led startups: ~10-15%

Women co-founders: ~20-25%

VC funding to women: <3%

Palestine likely below these already-low MENA averages given compounding barriers

Research Priority

Sex-disaggregated startup data is critical missing research for designing effective inclusion interventions. Current "startup ecosystem" discourse is implicitly male-focused.

Policy Interventions & Pathways Forward

Education & Skills

→ STEM scholarships for women
→ Coding bootcamps targeting women
→ Female CS faculty recruitment
→ Practical internships in tech firms

Employment & Entrepreneurship

→ Women-focused tech accelerators
→ Gender-lens VC/angel funding
→ Anti-discrimination hiring policies
→ Remote work enablement (flexibility)

Data & Research

→ Sex-disaggregated digital economy metrics
→ Women in tech startup research
→ Gender pay gap audits in ICT sector
→ Intersectional barrier analysis

The Invisible Majority

The gender digital divide in Palestine is characterized by compounding disadvantages: 42% women ICT graduate unemployment (vs 23% men), critical data gaps obscuring startup participation, and intersectional barriers (gender + occupation + skills mismatch + ecosystem immaturity). The absence of sex-disaggregated data for key metrics (device ownership, startup founding, VC funding, accelerator participation) is itself evidence of systemic exclusion—regions with robust women's tech ecosystems measure them. Post-crisis humanitarian e-wallet adoption presents a paradoxical opportunity: forced digital financial inclusion may accelerate women's economic agency, but only if crisis-driven gains are institutionalized rather than temporary.

Challenge

42% women unemployment, data invisibility, ecosystem exclusion, intersectional barriers

Opportunity

Crisis-driven e-wallet adoption, targeted policies, data collection, mentorship programs