Behavioral Dimensions of the Digital Gender Divide: Women’s Access to Information and Communication Technology in Rural and Semi-Urban Bangladesh

The expansion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has transformed access to communication, education, employment, and social participation across developing countries. However, unequal digital access continues to reinforce gender disparities, particularly among women in rural Bangladesh. This study examines the behavioral and structural dimensions of the digital gender divide by comparing women’s ICT access and usage in rural and semi-urban areas of Bangladesh. A mixed-methods exploratory design was employed, combining survey data from 276 respondents with qualitative interviews and thematic analysis. The findings reveal substantial inequalities in smartphone ownership, internet connectivity, digital literacy, and independent ICT usage between rural and semi-urban women. Rural women experience stronger barriers associated with poverty, infrastructural limitations, patriarchal restrictions, and limited technological skills. The study further identifies behavioral constraints such as fear of social criticism, family surveillance, reputational concerns, and perceived online risks as significant factors limiting women’s digital participation. Although ICT access contributes positively to women’s empowerment by improving access to information, communication, and participation in household decision-making, empowerment outcomes remain uneven due to persistent socio-cultural inequalities. The study argues that reducing the digital gender divide requires both technological expansion and behaviorally informed public policies, including community-based digital literacy programs, awareness campaigns, and interventions addressing restrictive gender norms. The research contributes to the literature on behavioral economics, gender, and digital inclusion by demonstrating that women’s digital exclusion is both a structural and behavioral policy challenge.