Engendering Digital Capabilities in Indonesia: Closing the Gender Divide Through Employment Effects

Using a mixed methods approach we investigate cross sector employment effects of the gendered digital capabilities divide in Indonesia. Conceptualising independent digital connectivity (IDC) by integrating digital device ownership and access to internet, and identifying its five main drivers – i) trend and profitability, ii) connecting with prospective buyers, iii) the presence of local online marketplaces, iv) loss prevention and v) low market saturation – we find that there is a need to move from an access-based policy to an ownership-driven agenda where individuals no longer rely on public goods, other people or resources to have digital connections. Disaggregating IDC into zero, low, medium, and high levels we find that informal agricultural self-employment has a higher discouraging effect in medium IDC among men and high IDC among women. In commerce, women are significantly less likely to have medium IDC, while men are significantly less likely to have high IDC. In services, men are significantly less likely to have medium levels of IDC, while women are significantly less likely to have high IDC.