The session Digital Identity, Data Economy and Gender Equality organized by Finland and MyData Global was aimed at discussing the interconnections between digital identity (ID), data protection, data justice and gender equality. The purpose was to look at good and bad practices in the policymaking and practical implementation of the digital ID regimes, and identify a set of key takeaways that support technological progress and digital services while moving forward the issue of gender equality and empowerment. 

In order to share the lessons learned and discuss ways forward, the session involved different stakeholders in the discussion. Panellists represented government, international organisations, business and civil society including the Global South namely World Bank, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Afroleadership, Digital Public Goods Alliance, UN Global Pulse and Fujitsu Gender Empowerment Network. The session was moderated by MyData Global.

Digital public infrastructure includes a range of factors such as civil registration, digital ID, payment systems and other registration systems. Digital ID is the most foundational of these because it connects citizens to so many services. It can enable us to unlock public services and access health services, education, communications, livelihoods opportunities and social capital.  A billion people worldwide lack legal identity and the vast majority of them are in low-income countries and women and marginalized groups. Even when people have ID, it is often not secure and verifiable. This is a human rights issue which affects the sustainable development of societies because of the barriers these people face in exercising their rights and accessing services. 

The session highlighted experiences from the Global South. Access to finance and Internet is very low for women in the sub-Saharan region and it is difficult for them to acquire all the documents needed in order to have digital ID. Experiences are similar in India: women have low access to Internet and communication technologies. Another obstacle for women in India is that they are quite often illiterate. The digital divide in India presents itself both between and inside different socio-economic groups. Women in middle- and high-income groups have access to Internet but are often not aware of how data is collected and used. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation. It was also noted that there is often very little accountability when it comes to data protection. 

Disparities are even more pronounced with displaced populations. UNHCR estimates that around 75 percent of refugees and displaced people are women and children. The gender mobile gap in this context is great and has received very little dedicated attention. UNHCR and GSMA research in Africa has shown that 62 percent of men, compared to 36 percent of women reported owning a mobile device. Access to mobile has become a powerful tool for delivering lifesaving and life enhancing information and is therefore important in refugee contexts. 

The session concluded that there is a need for a paradigm shift in order to promote a better version of life without gendered norms through connectivity. In order to make this shift happen, the session panellists strongly emphasized the need to promote collaboration between governments, the private sector and other stakeholders in different regions in the development of digital ID systems. There is a need to find incentive structures for private sector and for-profit entities to be involved as enablers of this change. It is especially important to keep highlighting the needs of women and the most disadvantaged populations.

Many governments do not have a system in place on how to implement digital ID. What is needed is promoting and applying a whole-of-government approach to developing digital ID systems; building private sector innovation upon of the digital enablers that the public sector provides; engaging with individuals, placing them at the heart of the equation and rethinking the development from a service-oriented perspective. Governments must take an active role and build in-house capacity to run ID systems. Moreover, there is a need for more knowledge sharing between regions as well as promotion of open systems that governments can adapt to their contextual needs.

In order to bridge the gender digital gap in ID systems, there is a need to apply inclusion by design approach. This means removing barriers to access in laws, policies, procedures and technologies for ID systems. It is important to implement targeted strategies to address barriers faced by specific groups, especially women, the disadvantaged and the displaced. In the Global South context, this can mean, for example, bringing ID services closer to women and the disadvantaged so that they can overcome mobility and travel cost issues that may hinder their access to ID services and registration. 

It is also crucial to build trust in ID systems by ensuring user privacy and data protection by design. Governments must be held accountable for how they use digital ID systems. The more authoritarian a government’s approach is, the more risks of human rights violations there are. Promoting good governance as a means to minimize risks related to data collection and user privacy is vital. Governments must protect civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights and promote non-discrimination, accountability and affordability when designing digital ID systems. Digital ID can promote access to public and private services only if the rule of law is respected. Transparency and accountability can increase trust in digital systems and trust increases the use of such services.

As the use of digital services increases, there is also a clear need to ensure that populations are aware of how to use them safely. The panellists noted that it is important to place emphasis on improving digital literacy skills. It is essential to educate users, especially women and the disadvantaged groups on how to stay safe online, how data is collected and used and how to use digital space for increasing personal livelihoods and wellbeing. Employing communications strategies and training that highlight the value of ID systems for women and the disadvantaged is especially important.