Digital Divide: Men Dominate Online Finance, Women Lead in Mobile Banking and Social Media

Despite the dominance of men in Pakistan’s digital world, women have shown rapid growth in mobile banking and social media usage, as reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Key Points:

• Men’s Dominance in Internet Use: In the past four years, the number of male broadband users has increased by 21%, raising their share from 79% to nearly 100%.
• Women’s Growth: There has been a 12% increase in the number of women online, boosting their share from 21% to 33%.
• Branchless Banking: Men’s use of branchless banking services rose by 26%, increasing their share from 55% to 81%. For women, the increase was 17%.
• Social Media Gender Gap: Men still lead on social media platforms, with the following gender gaps:
  • Facebook: 76% men, 24% women
  • YouTube: 59% gender gap
  • TikTok: 71% gender gap
  • Instagram: 41% gender gap

Conclusion: Men continue to dominate Pakistan’s digital sector, particularly in financial services. However, women have made notable progress in mobile banking and social media.