Women in Luxembourg were less likely than men to use the internet for online courses, but there was near parity in above basic digital skills amongst 16 to 24-year-olds.  Shutterstock

Women in Luxembourg were less likely than men to use the internet for online courses, but there was near parity in above basic digital skills amongst 16 to 24-year-olds.  Shutterstock

While Luxembourg ranked eighth in the Women in Digital Scoreboard 2020 report, with a score of 58.9 (slightly above the EU average of 54.5), there are still existing gaps between men and women in a number of categories. 

The report measures 12 indicators according to 2019 figures (including the UK) in three categories: internet use, internet user skills and specialist skills. 

In the first category, the main gaps between women and men include those using the internet for online banking (68% and 78%, respectively); to take an online course (8% versus 13%); for online consultations or voting (15% versus 19%); and e-government users, i.e., using the internet to submit forms (52% versus 63%). Overall, the ranking of women in Luxembourg using the internet was slightly higher than the EU average (63 compared to 60).  

All indicators for women in internet user skills were slightly below those of men. The percentages of women who had at least basic digital skills, above basic digital skills or basic software skills were at 61%, 32% and 65%, respectively, while their male counterparts ranked 68%, 40% and 71% in these categories. 

In terms of specialist skills and employment, female ICT specialists as a percentage of total employment was 2.1% compared to men at 8.8%. Nevertheless, the percentage of female ICT specialists as a portion of total in Luxembourg was only slightly less than the EU average (16.8% versus 17.7%, respectively).

The Women in Digital Scoreboard 2020 report uses figures from 2019 and still accounts for the UK, so averages include the EU28. Although Luxembourg ranked behind Finland, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Ireland, there has been a reduction in the gap between men and women who have never used the internet. What’s more, there is near parity amongst men and women in the 16-24-year-old age group in terms of those who have above basic digital skills. 

The Commission plans on addressing the ICT gap in a five-year action plan as part of the European Skills Agenda, and Thierry Breton, internal market commissioner, has stated that as part of the Recovery & Resilience Fund, at least 20% will be dedicated to digital.