Pakistan leads global progress in ‘bridging mobile gender gap’
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ISLAMABAD: The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2026 has highlighted Pakistan as the most improved nation among all surveyed countries in narrowing the mobile ownership gender gap, which sharply declined from 37 per cent in 2024 to 27pc in 2025.
Pakistan also ranked among the top-performing nations across the 14 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) surveyed, recording robust improvements across nearly all indicators of women’s digital access and usage.
A key highlight of the report was the dramatic reduction in the mobile internet gender gap, which plummeted from 25pc to just 8pc in a single year — marking one of the fastest improvements recorded globally.
Women’s mobile internet usage increased significantly during this period, while male usage remained relatively stable, indicating strong, independent momentum in women’s digital adoption.
The report also underscored the critical role of personal device ownership in enabling meaningful digital engagement, revealing that 94pc of women who own a smartphone use mobile internet daily, compared to 48pc among those relying on shared devices.
GSMA report underscores critical role of personal device ownership in enabling meaningful digital engagement
Broader impact of connectivity
It emphasised that mobile phones and mobile internet serve as life-changing resources, enabling individuals to connect with one another and access vital information, healthcare, education, income-generating opportunities, e-commerce, and financial services from anywhere.
It added that in 2025, more than 3.2 billion people in LMICs accessed the internet using a mobile phone, confirming that mobile connectivity remains the primary gateway to the digital world for these populations.
“Pakistan stands out as one of the strongest performers among the countries surveyed. This substantial reduction in the gender gap reflects meaningful progress driven by collective effort. Ensuring women have access to their own devices and a supportive digital ecosystem will be critical to maintaining this momentum,” said Julian Gorman, who heads Asia Pacific at GSMA global comparisons and persistent barriers.
According to the report, out of the 14 surveyed nations, only Sri Lanka and Mexico have achieved parity, where mobile internet use is equal between genders. In the remaining countries, women remain less likely than men to use the mobile internet. The surveyed nations with the widest gender gaps in mobile internet adoption are Bangladesh at 38pc, Ethiopia at 36pc, Uganda at 33pc, Nigeria at 26pc, and India at 25pc.
Industry response
Reacting to the findings, Aamir Ibrahim, chairman of the Telecom Operators’ Association (TOA), stated, “Pakistan’s progress in narrowing the gender gap in mobile ownership and internet use is a significant achievement and demonstrates what is possible when government, industry, and other stakeholders work toward a shared goal of digital inclusion.”
He cautioned, however, that sustaining this upward trajectory will require a continued focus on affordability, digital skills, and creating more opportunities for women to independently participate in the digital economy.
The TOA identified affordability, digital literacy and skills, and social norms and family disapproval as the key barriers to women’s internet adoption.
Welcoming ongoing policy and industry efforts aimed at expanding digital access and inclusion, the association commended the Government of Pakistan, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, development partners, and industry stakeholders. The TOA noted that their collective efforts have been instrumental in improving digital access for women and accelerating Pakistan’s progress toward a more inclusive digital future.
Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2026 ...