Mexico. Every March 8, we focus the conversation on the gaps that persist between men and women in labor participation, access to management positions, entrepreneurship opportunities, presence in technological and innovation sectors, participation in decision-making and, especially, in the distribution of time dedicated to domestic and care work. However, there is another space where these differences are also reflected, although in a less visible way, the digital ecosystem.
For years, the digital gender divide was spoken of as a problem of access. The concern was that women were less likely to connect to the internet than men. In Mexico, that difference has practically disappeared. According to the National Survey on the Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH) 2024 by INEGI, 82.3% of women use the internet, compared to 84.1% of men. In terms of connectivity, the distance is marginal today.
This means that women are already fully part of the digital environment. They access the internet, use apps, and consume online content. However, when the activities carried out by users on the Internet are observed in greater detail, differences in usage patterns begin to appear.
In the case of video games, for example, male participation is still considerably higher. According to estimates by The Competitive Intelligence Unit (CIU), about 69.6% of Internet men play video games, while among women the proportion is 55.3%. This difference of more than 14 percentage points suggests that, although access to the internet is practically equivalent between men and women, the forms of participation within the digital ecosystem are not necessarily so.
Something similar occurs in the consumption of subscription video platforms such as Netflix, Prime, etc. In this segment, 72% of male Internet users use SVOD services, compared to 65% of women, also according to data from The CIU. This is not an extreme divide, but it does show that digital behavior is not completely homogeneous.
These differences reflect that digital participation depends on factors that go beyond connectivity. Social conditions that exist off-screen continue to influence the way people use technology.
One of the relevant factors is the time available. In Mexico, women spend 39.7 hours a week on unpaid domestic and care work, while men spend 18.2 hours, according to INEGI's National Survey on Time Use (ENUT). This difference of more than 21 hours a week not only reflects structural inequality, it also conditions the way in which time is distributed for recreational activities, digital consumption or online entrepreneurship.
Technology is often presented as a great social equalizer. The Internet promises to democratize access to information, opportunities, and markets. But reality shows that connectivity, by itself, does not automatically transform existing social structures.
Gender gaps do not disappear when entering the digital world. Often they simply take on new forms.
Women are already connected. The question that remains open is whether the digital ecosystem is also evolving at the same pace to offer them the same opportunities.
Analysis written by Gonzalo Rojon of The Competitive Intelligence Unit, The CIU.
