Being Digitally Savvy Australian Women’s Access and Ability to Use Broadband
Main Article Content
Keywords
women, digital inclusion, Australian Digital Inclusion Index, Online Skills Check and Resources (OSCAR)
Abstract
Research into the rates of digital inclusion over the last three years, from the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII), has shown differences in digital access and abilities of women compared to men. Deploying a gendered analysis, it is possible to explore the drivers behind differences in some areas where women scored above men and in other areas below. This paper reviews data from the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) and NBN’s Online Skills Check and Resources (OSCAR). Focusing on the perspectives of women living in regional areas, living with a disability, from low-income households and senior women allows parallels to be drawn between digital inclusion and social inequality. Understanding factors that increase women’s agency remains significant in the context of also improving women’s digital inclusion. Factors that increase agency are required to fulfill women’s digital potential. Solutions presented to address these gaps and narrow the gender digital divide include education and capacity building to provide opportunities and support for women, the importance of social networks, addressing narratives and, finally, targeting gaps in research. A continuous theme in this paper is the importance of an inclusive approach to investing time, effort and research to address gender equality within digital inclusion.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Australian Broadcasting Corporation Q+A. (2022). Mental Health Services in Regional Australia [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CKKKkTEjqo
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (n.d.). Household use of information technology. [Internet]. Accessed 4 Feb 2023. Available from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/technology-and-innovation/household-use-information-technology
Accenture. (2023). Affordability of services over the nbn network. Report Commissioned by NBN Co. Available from: https://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbn/documents/about-nbn/reports/reports-and-publications/nbn-affordability-report-2022.pdf.coredownload.pdf
Amnesty International. (2018). Australia: Poll Reveals Alarming Impact of Online Abuse Against Women [Internet]. Accessed 2 June 2022. Available from https://www.amnesty.org.au/australia-poll-reveals-alarming-impact-online-abuse-women/
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN). (2019). No Australian Left Offline: ACCAN pushes for affordable broadband [Media Release]. Accessed 4 June 2022. Available from https://accan.org.au/accans-work/no-australian-left-offline
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). (2022). Australian content on commercial TV [Internet]. Accessed 3 Feb 2023. Available from https://www.acma.gov.au/australian-content-commercial-tv#transmission-quotas
Australian Digital Inclusion Index. (2023). Mapping the Digital Gap Project. https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/first-nations/
Australian Digital Inclusion Index. (2021a). Access [Dataset]. https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/dashboard/Access.aspx
Australian Digital Inclusion Index. (2021b). Digital Ability [Dataset]. https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/dashboard/Digital.aspx
Becker, G. S. (1985). Human Capital, Effort, and the Sexual Division of Labor. Journal of Labor Economics, 3(1), S33–S58.
Benhabib, S. (1997). The Embattled Public Sphere: Hannah Arendt, Juergen Habermas and Beyond. Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory, 90, 1–24.
Bottrall, J. (2019, October 11). The silver economy’s new golden girl. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/business/the-silver-economys-new-golden-girl
Brand, J. E., & Jervis, J. (2021). Digital Australia 2022. Interactive Games & Entertainment Association. Everleigh, New South Wales. Available from https://igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DA22-Report-FINAL-19-10-21.pdf
Casey, S., Crimmins, G., Rodriguez Castro, L., & Holliday, P. (2021). “We would be dead in the water without our social media!”: Women using entrepreneurial bricolage to mitigate drought impacts in rural Australia, Community Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2021.1972017
Casey, S., & Watson, J. (2017). The Unpalatable-Palatable: Celebrity Feminism in the Australian Mainstream Media. Outskirts, 37, 1–19.
Di Iorio, O. (2022, June 4). Photographer Claudia Caporn celebrates female farmers and women in agriculture with 'educational' portrait series. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-04/women-in-agriculture-farming-photography-claudia-caporn/101124328
Dimarco, S. (2021). The tool to test your digital capability. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/the-nbn-project/the-tool-to-test-your-digital-capability
Dilli, S. (2017). The deep causes of economic development: Family systems and female agency. In van Zaden, J. L., Rijpma, A., & Kok, J. (Eds), Agency, Gender and Economic Development in the World Economy 1850-2000: Testing the Sen Hypothesis (pp. 138–161). London: Taylor & Francis.
Ewing, S., van der Nagel, E., & Thomas, J. (2014.) CCi Digital Futures 2014: The Internet in Australia. ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology. Available from https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/file/908883d3-e09f-4470-ab56-abe4bf2c8cc3/1/PDF%20%28Published%20version%29.pdf
Farthing, S., Howell, J., Lecchi, K., Paleologos, Z., Saintilan, P., & Santow, E. (2021). Human Rights and Technology. Australian Human Rights Commission. Available from https://tech.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-05/AHRC_RightsTech_2021_Final_Report.pdf
Goedhart, N. S., Broerse, J. E. W., Kattouw, R., & Dedding, C. (2019). ‘Just having a computer doesn’t make sense’: The digital divide from the perspective of mothers with a low socio-economic position. New Media & Society, 21(11-12), 2347–2365. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819846059
Hootsuite. (2022). Digital 2022. Available from https://www.hootsuite.com/research/social-trends
KPMG. (2022). Digital Participation Research. Research Commissioned by NBN Co.
NBN Co. (2015, October 15). What is the nbn Multi Technology Mix? NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/the-nbn-project/what-is-the-nbn-multi-technology-mix
NBN Co. (2018). Enterprising Women: An economic study of the way Australian women work, live and connect. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco2/2018/documents/media-centre/nbn-co-connecting-australia-enterprising-women-report.pdf
NBN Co. (2021a, February 9). Innovate with nbn grants: the winners. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/business/innovate-with-nbn-grants-the-winners
NBN Co. (2021b). Statement of Expectations. Issued by Shareholder Ministers for NBN Co Limited.
NBN Co. (2022). Statement of Expectations. Issued by Shareholder Ministers for NBN Co Limited. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbn/documents/about-nbn/policies/statement-of-expectations-2022.pdf
OECD. (2015). What do women do online? Available from https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/what-do-women-do-online.htm
O’Grady, H. (2005). Woman’s relationship with Herself: gender, Foucault and therapy. London: Routledge.
Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021A00076
Orthia, L., Maccora, J., & McCallum, J. (2022.) “I am trying to keep up to date…but it is moving so fast”: Older Australians’ Digital Engagement in Turbulent Times. National Seniors Australia. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Available from https://nationalseniors.com.au/uploads/NationalSeniors-Digital-Engagement-Report-Mar2022-Final.pdf
Online Skills Check and Resources. (2022). NBN Co OSCAR [Dataset].
Shaping Connections. (2021). Reducing perceived risks and promoting digital inclusion for Older Australians. Available from https://www.shapingconnections.org/tools
Tech Council of Australia. (2022). Australia’s Tech Jobs Opportunity – Cracking the Code to Australia’s Best Jobs. Available from https://techcouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Tech-Jobs-Opportunity-report.pdf
Testa, I. (2017). Recognition as Passive Power: Attractors of Recognition, Biopower, and Social Power. Constellations, 24, no. 2.
Thomas, J., Barraket, J., Wilson, C. K., Holcombe-James, I., Kennedy, J., Rennie, E., Ewing, S., & MacDonald, T. (2020). Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020. RMIT and Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, for Telstra. https://doi.org/10.25916/5f6eb9949c832
Thomas, J., Barraket, J., Parkinson, S., Wilson, C., Holcombe-James, I., Kennedy, J., Mannell, K., & Brydon, A. (2021). Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: Australian Digital Inclusion Index: 2021. Melbourne: RMIT, Swinburne University of Technology and Telstra. https://doi.org/10.25916/phgw-b725
Williams, G. (2022, February 25). 2021 Innovate with nbn Grants Program: the winners. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/business/2021-innovate-with-nbn-grants-program-the-winners
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (n.d.). Household use of information technology. [Internet]. Accessed 4 Feb 2023. Available from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/technology-and-innovation/household-use-information-technology
Accenture. (2023). Affordability of services over the nbn network. Report Commissioned by NBN Co. Available from: https://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbn/documents/about-nbn/reports/reports-and-publications/nbn-affordability-report-2022.pdf.coredownload.pdf
Amnesty International. (2018). Australia: Poll Reveals Alarming Impact of Online Abuse Against Women [Internet]. Accessed 2 June 2022. Available from https://www.amnesty.org.au/australia-poll-reveals-alarming-impact-online-abuse-women/
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN). (2019). No Australian Left Offline: ACCAN pushes for affordable broadband [Media Release]. Accessed 4 June 2022. Available from https://accan.org.au/accans-work/no-australian-left-offline
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). (2022). Australian content on commercial TV [Internet]. Accessed 3 Feb 2023. Available from https://www.acma.gov.au/australian-content-commercial-tv#transmission-quotas
Australian Digital Inclusion Index. (2023). Mapping the Digital Gap Project. https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/first-nations/
Australian Digital Inclusion Index. (2021a). Access [Dataset]. https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/dashboard/Access.aspx
Australian Digital Inclusion Index. (2021b). Digital Ability [Dataset]. https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/dashboard/Digital.aspx
Becker, G. S. (1985). Human Capital, Effort, and the Sexual Division of Labor. Journal of Labor Economics, 3(1), S33–S58.
Benhabib, S. (1997). The Embattled Public Sphere: Hannah Arendt, Juergen Habermas and Beyond. Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory, 90, 1–24.
Bottrall, J. (2019, October 11). The silver economy’s new golden girl. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/business/the-silver-economys-new-golden-girl
Brand, J. E., & Jervis, J. (2021). Digital Australia 2022. Interactive Games & Entertainment Association. Everleigh, New South Wales. Available from https://igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DA22-Report-FINAL-19-10-21.pdf
Casey, S., Crimmins, G., Rodriguez Castro, L., & Holliday, P. (2021). “We would be dead in the water without our social media!”: Women using entrepreneurial bricolage to mitigate drought impacts in rural Australia, Community Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2021.1972017
Casey, S., & Watson, J. (2017). The Unpalatable-Palatable: Celebrity Feminism in the Australian Mainstream Media. Outskirts, 37, 1–19.
Di Iorio, O. (2022, June 4). Photographer Claudia Caporn celebrates female farmers and women in agriculture with 'educational' portrait series. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-04/women-in-agriculture-farming-photography-claudia-caporn/101124328
Dimarco, S. (2021). The tool to test your digital capability. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/the-nbn-project/the-tool-to-test-your-digital-capability
Dilli, S. (2017). The deep causes of economic development: Family systems and female agency. In van Zaden, J. L., Rijpma, A., & Kok, J. (Eds), Agency, Gender and Economic Development in the World Economy 1850-2000: Testing the Sen Hypothesis (pp. 138–161). London: Taylor & Francis.
Ewing, S., van der Nagel, E., & Thomas, J. (2014.) CCi Digital Futures 2014: The Internet in Australia. ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology. Available from https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/file/908883d3-e09f-4470-ab56-abe4bf2c8cc3/1/PDF%20%28Published%20version%29.pdf
Farthing, S., Howell, J., Lecchi, K., Paleologos, Z., Saintilan, P., & Santow, E. (2021). Human Rights and Technology. Australian Human Rights Commission. Available from https://tech.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-05/AHRC_RightsTech_2021_Final_Report.pdf
Goedhart, N. S., Broerse, J. E. W., Kattouw, R., & Dedding, C. (2019). ‘Just having a computer doesn’t make sense’: The digital divide from the perspective of mothers with a low socio-economic position. New Media & Society, 21(11-12), 2347–2365. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819846059
Hootsuite. (2022). Digital 2022. Available from https://www.hootsuite.com/research/social-trends
KPMG. (2022). Digital Participation Research. Research Commissioned by NBN Co.
NBN Co. (2015, October 15). What is the nbn Multi Technology Mix? NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/the-nbn-project/what-is-the-nbn-multi-technology-mix
NBN Co. (2018). Enterprising Women: An economic study of the way Australian women work, live and connect. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco2/2018/documents/media-centre/nbn-co-connecting-australia-enterprising-women-report.pdf
NBN Co. (2021a, February 9). Innovate with nbn grants: the winners. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/business/innovate-with-nbn-grants-the-winners
NBN Co. (2021b). Statement of Expectations. Issued by Shareholder Ministers for NBN Co Limited.
NBN Co. (2022). Statement of Expectations. Issued by Shareholder Ministers for NBN Co Limited. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbn/documents/about-nbn/policies/statement-of-expectations-2022.pdf
OECD. (2015). What do women do online? Available from https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/what-do-women-do-online.htm
O’Grady, H. (2005). Woman’s relationship with Herself: gender, Foucault and therapy. London: Routledge.
Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021A00076
Orthia, L., Maccora, J., & McCallum, J. (2022.) “I am trying to keep up to date…but it is moving so fast”: Older Australians’ Digital Engagement in Turbulent Times. National Seniors Australia. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Available from https://nationalseniors.com.au/uploads/NationalSeniors-Digital-Engagement-Report-Mar2022-Final.pdf
Online Skills Check and Resources. (2022). NBN Co OSCAR [Dataset].
Shaping Connections. (2021). Reducing perceived risks and promoting digital inclusion for Older Australians. Available from https://www.shapingconnections.org/tools
Tech Council of Australia. (2022). Australia’s Tech Jobs Opportunity – Cracking the Code to Australia’s Best Jobs. Available from https://techcouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Tech-Jobs-Opportunity-report.pdf
Testa, I. (2017). Recognition as Passive Power: Attractors of Recognition, Biopower, and Social Power. Constellations, 24, no. 2.
Thomas, J., Barraket, J., Wilson, C. K., Holcombe-James, I., Kennedy, J., Rennie, E., Ewing, S., & MacDonald, T. (2020). Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020. RMIT and Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, for Telstra. https://doi.org/10.25916/5f6eb9949c832
Thomas, J., Barraket, J., Parkinson, S., Wilson, C., Holcombe-James, I., Kennedy, J., Mannell, K., & Brydon, A. (2021). Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: Australian Digital Inclusion Index: 2021. Melbourne: RMIT, Swinburne University of Technology and Telstra. https://doi.org/10.25916/phgw-b725
Williams, G. (2022, February 25). 2021 Innovate with nbn Grants Program: the winners. NBN Co Blog. Available from https://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/business/2021-innovate-with-nbn-grants-program-the-winners
Article Sidebar
Published
Jun 28, 2023
Article Details
How to Cite
Tsafkas, M. (2023). Being Digitally Savvy: Australian Women’s Access and Ability to Use Broadband. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 11(2), 60–76. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v11n2.697
Issue
Section
Special Issue: Women’s Participation in the Digital Economy and Digital Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright Telecommunications Association Inc.
