However, there is still claimed to be a digital gender divide, which is an extension of the digital divide. It refers to the gap between regions or groups of people that are left behind in use of computer and the internet. The digital gender divide focuses specifically on the inequity of women's access to and use of communication technology. (In this case gender does not mean 'sex', but refers to a socially constructed means of categorizing people and assigning particular ideals and characteristics to those categorizations).
Only 22% of Internet users in Asia and 38% in Latin America are women, where only 6% (!) of the Internet users in the Middle East are women. Some researchers argue that it is not the technology itself but the 'culture' of computerization and computing that is highly gender-stereotyped and contributes to the digital gender divide. For example take a look at computer games. There is a great divide between 'girl's games' and 'boys' games', but there has to be thought more about games that challenge the children's mind. Now the majority of the computer games contain masculine spaces, and music, images and actions all embody some sort of hypermasculinity. Girls want high-skill, not high-kill.
There is a great exception though: Tomb Raider with its character Lara Croft, who is one of the only female characters who has succeeded in navigating a traditionally male space. Although it seems that men are more likely to get addicted to computer games, a study by McKenna shows that females are more likely to derive long-term enjoyment from gaming than males. Therefore more woman than men play as they get older!
It also appears that women are the vast majority of victims of violence and harassment, in both the physical world and the virtual world. Types of cyber violence are cyberstalking, online harassment (making personal threats) and degrading representations (disrespectful and/or harmful representations of women through images or text). To empower woman they need control of communication and therefore the flow of information. Women are participating by building online communities to increase supportive dialogue, exchange information and promote activism. Community-building efforts through CMC foster both gender equity and the future growth of participatory democracy. Particularly in times of crisis, when citizens are silenced by traditional media, CMC is the most important means for women to voice their concerns. CMC creates a space to do just that. Women are ready to take over the world!
