UN: 60% of school-aged children have no internet access during a pandemic

According to a joint report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Union

Telecommunications (ITU), approximately 1.3 billion children aged and overThe report also found a similar lack of access among young people, with 63% of young people aged 3 to 17 years and older.15 to 24 years old also do not have access to the Internet at home.

The fact that so many children and young people don't have internet at home is more than a 'digital divide', it's a 'digital canyon'.

Henrietta Fore, Head of UNICEF

Lack of communication prevents young people “from competing in today's economy. This isolates them from the world, ”the head of UNICEF stressed.

The report is particularly troubling, she said.a time when many schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of millions of students rely on virtual learning. If they have the opportunity, of course.

"Let's face it: not having access to the internet is costly for the next generation," said Henrietta Fore.

In its latest report, the UN warns that even before the pandemic, the digital divide was exacerbating inequalities in society, allowing children from the poorest regions, as well as from low-income countries, to fall further behindtheir peers in access to information.

 Also, the report suggests that not for every 20 school-age children in low-income countries, there is at least a child with internet access at home.In richer countries, 9 out of 10 children have access.

It should be noted that even in houses where there isnetwork connection, children can not always access the Internet. There are many obstacles - the need to do housework or work to support a family, the lack of a personal computer at home. In addition, the report mentions that girls may often have less access to the Internet than boys.

Two UN agencies did not have specific numbers,showing the difference in network access among girls and boys. However, their data showed a clear difference in how easy it is for men and women in general to go online.

In 2019, all over the world used the Internet55% of men and 48% of women, but the difference is much more pronounced in low-income countries and in poorer regions. In Africa, for example, 37% of men and boys used the Internet last year, but only 20% of women and girls, according to ITU data.

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