Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Technology as the Key to Women’s Empowerment: A Scoping Review
Version: 
2 
Date: 
23 Jan 2021
Reviewer's report:
There are still minor issues for the authors to consider in the revised manuscript.
These include:
1) Background:
a) First paragraph:
* First statement (page 3, lines 54-55): Insert "to" after "response".
* Second statement (page 3, lines 55-57): It is not clear what the authors mean
by "women's inter-sectoral participation".
b) Second paragraph:
* Third statement (page 3, lines 67-69): Delete "the" before "part-time" and
"low-income".
* Fourth statement (pages 3-4, lines 69-71): Change "ascribes to gender" to
"ascribes to it" to avoid unnecessary repetition of the word in the statement.
* Fifth statement (page 4, lines 71-74): Change the phrase, "articulates the
imperative" to "aims". 
c) Third paragraph:
* Second statement (page 4, lines 78-79): Insert "and" between "ubiquitous" and
"grown".
* Third statement (page 4, lines 79-81): Delete "found" from the statement. 
2) Methods:
a) First paragraph, second statement (pages 5-6, lines 108-116): Delete "finally"
from the statement.
b) Review protocol, team and management:
* First paragraph, fifth statement (page 6, lines 124-125): Change "co-lead
authors" to "co-authors".
* First paragraph, last statement (page 6, lines 125-127): Rephrase the last part to
read: "…search terms as well as a comprehensive …"
* Second paragraph, second statement (page 6, lines 132-133): Change the
phrase, "within this software" to "using this software".
* Second paragraph, third statement (page 6, lines 133-136): Change "trends" to
"patterns".
c) Review question and scope:
* Section heading (page 7, line 139): Change "&" to "and".
* First statement (page 7, lines 140-142): Rephrase to read: "This was part of a
broader study aimed at …"
* Last statement (page 7, lines 142-145): Rephrase to read: "The current review
aimed to examine the concept of empowerment, while … interventions for
achieving …" 
3) Results:
a) Demographics and study characteristics:
* Section heading (page 14, line 286): Change "&" to "and".
* Second paragraph, sixth statement (page 14, lines 297-299): Delete "of age"
after "59.6 years".
b) Empowerment definition:
* First paragraph, first statement (page 15, lines 309-312): Delete "of" after
"achieve".
* First paragraph, last statement (page 15, lines 313-316): Delete the full-stop
after "areas" as the statement is still continuing.
c) Measures of empowerment:
* First statement (page 16, lines 325-326): Delete "approximately" from the
statement.
* Third statement (page 16, lines 328-330): Insert a comma between "physical
activity" and "intimate partner violence".
* Fourth statement (page 16, lines 330-331): Change "validity to" to "validity
of".
d) ICT interventions:
* Outreach, first statement (page 16, lines 344-345): Rephrase to read: "Ten of
the 51 articles reviewed described …"
* Education, first statement (page 17, lines 353-354): Rephrase to read: "Six
articles described supportive …"
* Lifestyle, first statement (page 17, lines 360-361): Rephrase to read: "Twelve
articles described …"
* Lifestyle, last statement (page 17, lines 365-367): Insert "through" after
"behaviours" for the statement to read well.
* Health challenges, first statement (page 17, lines 369-370): Rephrase to read:
"Eleven articles described …" 
* Health challenges, second statement (page 17, lines 370-373): Change "were
largely focusing" to "largely focused".
* Perceptions of barriers, first statement (page 18, lines 386-387): Rephrase to
read: "Nine articles described …"
4) Discussion:
a) Concept of empowerment:
* Section heading (page 18, line 393): Delete "Defined" from the section
heading.
* First paragraph, fourth statement (pages 18-19, lines 401-404): Delete the
phrase, "it was noted by the authors that" from the statement as it is not clear
which authors we are talking about here.
* Second paragraph, last statement (page 19, lines 415-416): Rephrase to read:
"The finding underscores a need for a standardized tool for measuring the level
of women's empowerment."
5) Conclusions:
a) Second statement (page 22, lines 479-480): This is not a key message that a
reader can take away regarding the findings of the study. For it to be a
conclusion, it needs to be linked to particular findings of the study. In other
words, what findings from the review provide foundation for future research on
concept of empowerment through ICTs?
b) Last statement (page 22, lines 480-483): Again, this statement is not a key
message that a reader can take away based on particular findings of the review.
What findings from the review make it imperative for collaborations to address
persistent gender disparities in access to and use of technologies? 
6) Abstract:
a) Background and research objectives (page 2, lines 25-34): These sections of
the abstract still need some reorganization for smooth flow of thought. I would,
for instance, say something like: "Information and communications technologies
(ICTs) have empowered people to communicate and network at a global scale.
However, there is lack of in-depth understanding of the use of ICTs for women's
empowerment. This study examines how the concept empowerment is defined,
utilized and measured in research studies; the existing evidence on the use of
ICTs … women's empowerment; and the gaps in knowledge … global levels." 
b) Results:
* Second statement (page 2, lines 41-42): This statement does not adequately
summarize the key findings regarding how ICTs have been used in these areas.
In other words, the authors should summarize how ICTs have been used in the
areas listed here based on the findings of the review.
* Third statement (page 2, lines 42-44): Delete "However" or "despite" from the
statement. The two words cannot go together.
* Last statement (page 2, lines 44-46): Rephrase the last part to read: "…
measured in individual studies making it difficult to determine if it was
achieved."
c) Conclusion (page 2, lines 44-46): This is still not a good conclusion for the
abstract. Consider something like: "The findings suggest a need for collaborative
efforts between …" 
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Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
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