WOMEN’S RIGHTS ONLINEREPORTCARD
NAME OF COUNTRYBANGLADESH
Measuring Progress,Driving Action

INTE’SENACCESS & W
ET OWERM OMNENR MPT
E

BANGLADESH

COUNTRY NAMEOVERALL SCORE:
SCORE:

xx
39%%

SCORE:YX
3

Bangladesh
lagssentences
other countries
in the region
terms
Pleaseadd 2-3
justification
for theinscore...
of havingan effective
broadbandThe
paragraph
can consistof ± strategy.
70 words.The cost ofdata has been cited as a primary limitation to greater use
by 30 percent of the internet users in Bangladesh -- thehighest amongst the Asian countries last surveyed in 2018
by Lirneasia After Access Study.

DIGITAO R DA BILIT

Only 16add% of2-3
womenuse mobileinternetforin thethe score...
countryPleasesentencesjustification
against33% of men
to ±the70GSMA’s
2020 Mobile
The paragraphcanaccording
consist ofwords.
Gender Gap Report. This brings the highest gender gapof 106% in the region, with a huge percentage of womenless likely to use it than men. 86% of men in Bangladesh
own a mobile phone while 61% of women have one. The
country’s gender gap in this respect is 29%, according tothe same report.

SCORE:KILLS & EDUSCLIONATFAFX3X
550% of add
all teachers
are trainedin operating
multimedia
Please2-3 sentences
justification
for thescore...
classrooms.
86 can% ofconsist
secondary
students haveTheparagraphof ± school
70 words.
multimedia and 93% computer facilities. However otherstudies say that 18 – 35% of students have no access to
the Internet at school and 8.5% at home. Notably 19.5% ofgirls do not have access to digital devices in schools whichis more than twice the proportion of boys. Women compriseof only 16% of the ICT workforce in Bangladesh.

RELEVAICESRVSCORE:

LINE S AFETYNOCONTENT & SETNX
7Women addand 2-3
mensentences
have almost
equal internet
awareness
Pleasejustification
for thescore...
comprising
73 andcan
71 consist
percent respectively.
Abundant webThe paragraphof ± 70 words.
powered ICT information are available in Bangla on sexualand reproductive health rights, combatting VAW andchildren, preventing sexual harassment and early marriage
and use of mobile financial service (MFS). However there isat least a 28% gender gap in owning a digital access pointof MFS. Of the total registered MFS users 11% are womenand 30% men.

SCORE:

X
1.5

Women add
are disproportionately
targeted byfor
onlinePlease2-3 sentences justification
the violence
score...
andwomenofusers
online space have
Theharassment.
paragraph 73%
can ofconsist± 70ofwords.
faced some form of violence, and this number is on the rise.
80% victims of online violence do not report cases and 63%
do not know how to seek help. Existing laws relating to VAW
do not provide sufficient safeguards against online violence.

CLOSING THE GENDER GAP: A 5 POINT ACTION PLAN
1 		BOLD
EVALUATE
UPPERCASE
DIGITAL BANGLADESH
FONT FORFROM
FIRSTA GENDERSENTENCE
LENS.OF
DigitalEACH
Bangladesh
POINT.
the country’s
Pleasevisionadd
for digital
2-3
sentencesempowerment
for eachandpoint
prosperity,of approximately
must be evaluated
30 words.
from a gender
Pleaseperspective,
add 2-3 sentences
for furthering
forgreater
each accesspoint oftointernet and women’s
approximately
30 words.
empowerment.
Please add 2-3 sentences for each point of approximately 30 words.

2 		BOLD
FORMULATEUPPERCASE
AND TRACKFONTINDICATORSFOR FIRSTON WOMEN’SSENTENCE
EMPOWERMENTOF EACHAND
POINT.
TECHNOLOGY.
Please add
Strengthen
2-3sentences
existing
forcapacityeach point
for collectingof approximately
and reporting30nationalwords.data
Pleaseon gender
add 2-3
disaggregatedsentencesICTforrelatingeach topoint
impactofof measures for improving
approximately
30 words.women’s
Please access,add 2-3affordability,
sentencesimprovedfor eache-services
point of approximately
and safe access30
to words.
internet.

3 		BOLD
IMPROVE
UPPERCASE
INTERNET AFFORDABILITY
FONT FOR FIRSTAND SENTENCESPEED. Government
OF EACH
should step
POINT.
up needed
Pleasereforms
addtoreduce
2-3
sentencesthe price of
forbroadband
each point
andofmobile
approximately
data for all 30
withwords.
a targeted
Pleaseapproachadd 2-3
towards
sentences
underservedfor eachcommunities/
point ofgroups e.g. skilling
approximately
30womenwords.inPlease
the informal
add 2-3
sector.
sentences for each point of approximately 30 words.

4 		BOLD
ENSUREUPPERCASE
GREATER ACCESSFONT TOFORINTERNETFIRST SENTENCEAND DEVICES
OFFOR
EACH
WOMEN
POINT.
AND
PleaseGIRLS.
addIncrease
2-3
sentences
access tofor
interneteach andpoint
devicesof approximately
for girls in secondary
30 words.
schoolsPleaseand greater
add 2-3
participation
sentencesof womenfor eachin ICTpoint
relatedofhigher education30
approximately
andwords.
jobs. Promote
Pleasewomen’s
add 2-3ownershipsentencestofor
mobileeachphones
point andof approximately
devices to unleash
30 theirwords.
full potential tomobile financial services.

5 	BOLD UPPERCASE FONT FOR FIRST SENTENCE OF EACH POINT. Please add5 	
2-3
ADDRESSsentences
ONLINEfor eachGENDER
point of approximately
BASED VIOLENCE.
30 words.Online
Pleaseviolence
add 2-3
needs
sentences
to be effectively
for eachaddressed.
point ofThis should include
approximately
30 reviewing
words. Pleaselaws andaddexisting
2-3 sentences
mechanisms
for toeach
formulatepoint necessaryof approximately
reforms for
30greater
words.protection of
women and girls.

PROJECT OVERVIEWThe United Nations recently
made gender-equitable access toinformation and communications
technologies (ICTs) central to the
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), which set the global
development agenda until 2030.
Why? ICTs are powerful. They can help todeliver improved healthcare, quality education
for all, financial inclusion, more accountable
government, and much more. In adopting theSDGs, all countries have pledged to prioritise
universal Internet access, and to use ICTs toempower women.
But much hard work lies ahead if weare to translate this vision into reality. A
formidable gender gap in Internet access,digital skills and online rights exists - ourWomen’s Rights Online research shows that inmany communities, women are 50% less likely
than men to be online and 30-50% less likely

to use the Internet for economic and politicalempowerment. Women face many barriers- including high costs, lack of know-how,
and a scarcity of relevant and empoweringcontent - as well as social and legal obstacles
to speaking freely and privately online.
The Web Foundation and partners have
prepared these gender audits to help countries
assess what
whatthey
theyneed
need
to to
dodo
to overcome
to overcome
thethe gender
genderdigitaldigital
divide.
divide.
In Bangladesh
Name of Tahmina
Partner
has taken gender
Rahman,the lead,mainstreamingin consultationand
withdigitalothernationalrights
expert,stakeholders,has taken on
theidentifying
lead, in consultation
concretestepsotherwiththatnational
government
stakeholders,
can takeoninidentifying
the nextyear to address
concretesteps thatthegovernment
challengescan
andtakegapsinidentified.
thenext year
We to
hope
addressthat thisthe reportchallenges
card andactionidentified.
gaps
plan will We
spark
hope
debatethat this
andreport
galvanisecardpolicyandactionchange.
plan will spark debate and galvanise
policy change.

A NOTE ON METHODOLOGY:
We based our scores on 14 simple indicators for which reliable empirical evidence exists,and grading was done in the second quarter of 2020.
2016. See the accompanying overview
for a description of the indicators and sources used. A full methodology is available onour website.

Produced with support from: