In Pakistan, women are 38 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone and 49 percent less likely to use a mobile internet, says Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA).
The GSMA in its latest report "Connected Women: The mobile gender gap report 2020", stated that in Pakistan, family disapproval is the main factor preventing 29 percent of sampled female non-users of mobile internet from getting online, compared to only two percent of men.
Lack of family approval was a major impediment for women's access to mobile internet in several markets, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Algeria.
Relevance is the barrier that has shown the most change year on year.
While the perceived relevance of the internet - and a sense that there is insufficient content available in local languages - is still an important barrier in many countries, its importance as a top barrier has notably declined.
This was clear among men and women in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Algeria, and for women in Mozambique.
The decline of relevance as a barrier reflects growth in the use of apps to share video content in many LMICs, particularly through platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, which have driven explosive growth in video consumption on mobile.
However, relevance remains a key barrier in many markets, particularly in Myanmar where 34 percent of men and 30 percent of women cite it as a primary barrier.
Accessibility-related barriers are not grouped as a composite, as they cover a disparate range of topics.
However, there are several accessibility-related barriers that are important considerations in several markets.
Network quality emerged as a notable impediment to mobile internet access in many markets, particularly for men in several African countries.
Equally, while disapproval by family members is not a top barrier in most markets, for women in Bangladesh and particularly in Pakistan, it is an extremely important factor grounded in social norms that govern many women's choices and behaviour.
Of the countries surveyed, the widest gender gap is still in Pakistan, where women are less likely than men to own a mobile and to use mobile internet, the report states.
Male and female usage levels are lowest in South Asia and in Uganda - markets with some of the lowest overall levels of mobile ownership and mobile internet use.
The GSMA report shows that despite progress, the gender gap in mobile internet usage remains substantial, with over 300 million fewer women than men accessing the internet from a mobile device in low- and middle-income countries.
Affordability remains the critical barrier to mobile ownership, while lower awareness, as well as a lack of literacy and digital skills, are vital factors preventing women's mobile internet use.
The industry is renewing its commitment to reaching women with digital and financial services to address the persistent mobile gender gap.
The study finds that the mobile internet gender gap has narrowed and 54 percent of women in low- and middle-income countries now use mobile internet, up from 44 percent in 2017.
However, the underlying gender gap in mobile ownership remains largely unchanged and 165 million fewer women than men own a mobile. The research found that mobile offers essential benefits to users.
The majority of male and female mobile owners reported that mobile ownership makes them feel safer, better informed and supports them in their day-to-day lives.
"We are seeing important progress in driving equal internet access for women, but the pace of progress still remains slow. We urge business and government communities to continue prioritising efforts to drive more equal access to mobile technology," said Mats Granryd, director general, GSMA.
"Ensuring digital and financial inclusion for women is critically important, as we know that when women thrive, societies, businesses and economies thrive."
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