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GSMA Study Reveals that the Gender Gap in Mobile Internet Use is Shrinking, Despite the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

South Asia led the global trend, while the gap in mobile ownership persists
LONDON, June 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A record number of women in South Asia now use mobile internet services, helping shrink the gender gap to 15% from 19% last year in low- and middle-income countries despite the onset of COVID-19, according to the fourth annual GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report published today.
The gains in South Asia, which had the most significant gender gap in 2019 with women 50% less likely than men to use mobile internet, masked the stagnation in other regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Women in both regions now face a similar gender gap in mobile internet use – 37% in Sub-Saharan Africa and 36% in South Asia.
The GSMA report showed an estimated 112 million more women started using mobile internet last year across low- and middle-income countries. Nevertheless, 234 million fewer women than men access mobile internet. Moreover, the underlying gender gap in mobile ownership persists and is proving difficult to close.
Affordability, lack of literacy and digital skills, and lower awareness of mobile internet are critical and common barriers for women. Structural inequalities in society and discriminative social norms also remain a challenge. Even when women have the same levels of education, income, literacy, and employment as men, they are still less likely to own a mobile phone or use mobile internet.
Women were more likely than men to access the internet exclusively via mobile in almost all markets surveyed. In Kenya, for example, 63% of male internet users said they only used the internet via a mobile device compared to 79% of females. This reliance by women on mobile demonstrates the disproportionate benefit of increasing their access.
“If women are to become equal citizens in a more digital, post-COVID world, closing the mobile gender gap has never been more critical,” said Mats Granryd, Director General, of the GSMA. “I urge policymakers, the private sector and the international community to take note of the important findings laid out in the Mobile Gender Gap Report because only concerted action and collaboration will enable women and their families to reap the full benefits of connectivity.”
The GSMA introduced the Connected Women Commitment Initiative in 2016 to catalyse action to close the mobile gender gap. Mobile operators continued to make commitments during 2020, with 40 mobile operators across Africa, Asia and Latin America making formal commitments to accelerate digital and financial inclusion for women since 2016. These operators have already reached more than 40 million additional women with mobile internet or mobile money services.
The GSMA’s Mobile Gender Gap Report 2021 is available at: https://www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap/
Further information on the Connected Women Commitment Initiative can be found at: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/connected-women/the-commitment/
About GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with almost 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Africa, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Thrive Series of regional conferences.  For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
About GSMA Connected Women
GSMA’s Connected Women Programme works with mobile operators and their partners to address the barriers to women accessing and using mobile internet and mobile money services. Connected Women aims to reduce the gender gap in mobile internet and mobile money services and unlock significant commercial opportunities for the mobile industry and socio-economic benefits for women.
This report is the output of a project funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The views expressed are not necessarily those of either organisation.
For more information, please visit www.gsma.com/connectedwomen
Media Contacts:
GSMA Press Office pressoffice@gsma.com
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1385555/GSMA_Logo.jpg
 
 
 

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Vikram Vedha to open its advance bookings in 1250 multiplexes from 24th September

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Moreover, Vikram Vedha will have the largest international distribution for a Hindi film, with a record-
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Vikram Vedha is presented by Gulshan Kumar, T-Series, and Reliance Entertainment in association with
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Manoj Bajpayee will take 1 week off from his schedule to attend all the rituals on his fathers 1st death Anniversary day.

Three times National Film Awards and the Padma Shri winning actor Manoj Bajpayee who has completed three decades in the showbiz business and Juggling with multiple projects between different genres, characters and mediums. Manoj Bajpayee is a powerhouse actor when it comes to Indian cinema. Even if you haven’t seen many of his movies, you will have heard of talented actor Manoj Bajpayee’s name because of his brilliant performances in his films. The finest actor has become synonymous with content-driven subjects who also have been consistently working in multiple film industries.

The finest actor of Hindi cinema Manoj Bajpayee who has several movies lined up this year, will be taking 1 week off from his current project, which is directed by Apurva(Aspirant fame & produced by Vinod Bhanushali in mid september and will be leaving for his home town with his wife and daughter to attend all the puja rituals on his father’s 1st death anniversary day. Manoj Bajpayee’s father RK Bajpayee passed away at 83, last year in Delhi.

The actor believes that a family is a very important & priority in his life, in spite of his erratic schedules or no matter where he is, it is his first priority to always be with his family with all his support & spend time with them in any situations.After finishing all the rituals puja and family work,Manoj will immediately resume his shoot to finish his project on time without taking any time for himself.

Manoj Bajpayee has recently finished his 3 upcoming projects, one with Ram Reddy’s untitled film, which also has talented actor Deepika Dobriyal in the film. After that he finished RSVP’s Despatch, (A investigative thriller set in the world of crime journalism.) directed by Kanu Behl. Abhishek Chaubeys’s film which also has star cast like Konkana Sen, Sayaji Shinde,Naseer sir and some well known talented actors from south. Fox Stars Studios,Chalkboard Entertainment, Autonomous Works film, Gulmohar directed by Rahul Chittella ( who was assistant of Meena Nair) working with Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, and Amol Palekar along with Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi) and Simran Rishi Bagga in pivotal roles.

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Here comes the title of Jackky Bhagnani’s Jjust Music upcoming RVD’s soulful creation ‘Raaz’

Jackky Bhagnani’s Jjust Music has been coming up with some really amazing songs one after the other and now they are here with the title of their upcoming heart-touching melody by RVD, a soulful creation ‘Raaz’. It’s a melodious song by an Indie rap artist, RVD that evokes his potential lover to become his secret as that way she’ll go down to the grave with him and stay with him forever. 

The song captures a glimpse of feelings that brings a boy close to the emotions of his lover encapsulating his zest for involving her in his life a secret that will stay with him for life. Jotting down his deepest emotions learn from his life, RVD beautifully communicates through his art in music a feeling of true happiness that can only be appreciated and enjoyed in privacy as the unconditional bond they share is completely sacred which the world won’t understand as they’re not in our shoes. 

Moreover, the artist in a true sense, RVD is an artist who’s been given all the love by the world but battles and deals with his own loneliness by making music, he talks about how he has learned ‘you can’t be lonely if you’re comfortable being alone’ in the process, and through only music, he can express these thoughts. He is an artist who makes modernized music with a blend of cultural touches in Urdu and Punjabi languages, which makes him stand out from the general crowd.

RVD, is an Indie rap artist from Kolkata, West Bengal who’s been making much sound on the east side. Performed alongside pan India artists like Mohit Chauhan, Dino James, Zareen, Kayan, Gully Gang, etc. With tracks like ‘Riha’ and ‘Iteyhaas’ which have done extremely well, RVD has even caught a lot of attention and traction in the general crowd and the gaming world on a pan-India basis.

Meanwhile, Jjust Music made it to the headlines for it’s first PAN India music video Mashooka starring bold and quirky Rakul Preet. The song turned out to be a huge success and was received well by the audience.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ci2B4nfA-K6/?igshid=ODBkMDk1MTU=

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