Digital Literacy as a Catalyst for Gender Equality in Sustainable Development: A Critical Review of Evidence, Interventions, and Policy Pathways

Abstract

Digital literacy has emerged as a key determinant of who benefits from the digital transformation of economies and societies, and mounting evidence shows that these benefits are distributed unevenly along gender lines. This paper undertakes a critical, literature-based review of the relationship between digital literacy, the gender digital divide, and the gender equality goals embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Drawing on global datasets from the International Telecommunication Union and the GSMA, peer-reviewed scholarship on the gender digital divide, and documented digital-inclusion programs from India and elsewhere, the review synthesises evidence across four themes: the persistence and drivers of the gender digital divide; digital literacy as a mechanism of women's economic, educational, and civic empowerment; the design features that distinguish effective digital-literacy interventions; and the structural gaps that continue to limit impact at scale. The analysis indicates that access-focused policies alone are insufficient; disparities in skills, confidence, safety, and relevance to women's daily lives account for a large share of the residual gap even where connectivity has improved. The paper concludes with policy recommendations on affordability, gender-responsive curricula, safe digital environments, sex-disaggregated monitoring, and cross-sector partnerships. It identifies avenues for future primary research, including longitudinal and intersectional studies that current secondary literature cannot resolve.....