Rural gender digital divide: a narrative review from applied computer science and ICTs

The gender digital divide in rural communities was analyzed as a multidimensional phenomenon linked to material, educational, and sociocultural conditions that influenced the appropriation of ICTs. A narrative review was conducted using systematic search, selection, and synthesis procedures, and the evidence was organized through iterative thematic coding along three axes: structural/material barriers, educational and meaningful use barriers, and sociocultural barriers and interventions. Insufficient infrastructure, intermittent service, and limited affordability were identified as conditioning the continuity of access; the gap was observed to be reproduced in digital skills and in the institutional capacity to integrate ICTs, affecting meaningful use; and gender norms and community mediation were found to restrict technological autonomy, while situated and supported interventions showed greater potential for appropriation. It was concluded that the rural gender digital divide is configured as a cumulative system of inequalities, and it was recommended to strengthen comprehensive approaches and expand longitudinal and intersectional evidence.