The Effects of Digitalization on Gender Equality in the G20 Economies

This study investigates how the digital revolution, which is characterized by artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and mobile robotics, will affect gender equality in G20 countries, and how governments and non-governmental initiatives may exploit the new digital technologies to narrow these gender gaps in the future. The study focuses on four areas to derive its policy recommendations. First, it assesses if digital technologies will affect gender equality in the foreseeable future by replacing women’s jobs to a different extent than men’s jobs. Second, it determines the state of the art in gender equality and gender-oriented policies in labor markets, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship in the G20 countries. Third, it identifies deficits in women’s digital inclusion that may impair the effectiveness of digitally empowered gender policies. It also shows how digital technologies may empower women. And fourth, it provides three detailed case studies: on gender policies in two selected countries, India and South Africa, and on digitally empowered strategies for reducing the gender gap in angel investment.