The Quantum Hub launches platform to boost women’s participation in digital economy

Public policy research firm The Quantum Hub has launched the Women in Digital Economy Network (WiDEN) platform to accelerate women’s participation in the digital economy.

The multi-stakeholder platform brings government, industry, philanthropy, and civil society under one roof.

The launch event today in New Delhi drew leaders from several sectors to signal the start of a collective effort to reshape women’s economic inclusion for the digital era.

India’s digital economy is expanding at an unprecedented pace, but many women are still left out of this momentum. 

According to a media statement, women remain 33% less likely than men to use the internet, a gap that limits their access to digital livelihoods, payments, markets, and social networks. As India pushes deeper into a tech-driven future, narrowing this divide is important to ensure that digital growth is truly inclusive.

WiDEN will address these structural barriers through evidence-led action, cross-sector collaboration, and policy engagement, the statement said.

Led by The Quantum Hub and backed by LinkedIn, Microsoft, Google, and Zoom, WiDEN will be a shared platform for research, public conversations, cross-sector partnerships, and aligned efforts to broaden women’s access to digital tools and emerging market opportunities.

WiDEN's structure includes an advisory committee, a steering committee, thematic working groups, and a secretariat housed at The Quantum Hub to coordinate all activities. 

The platform's approach will rest on four pillars—research and evidence-building, skilling and capacity development, policy engagement, and industry collaboration. 

Over its first year, the coalition will release its vision document, set up an advisory board and thematic working groups, conduct an annual survey on women’s digital participation, and host a roundtable on the future of women’s work. 

Membership is open to companies, philanthropies, civil society organisations, and experts, offering opportunities to contribute to research, policy dialogues, and collaborative initiatives.

Arti Ahuja, Former Secretary of Labour and Employment, and Member of WiDEN’s Advisory Committee, said, “The way we work, we live, we interact with the government and fellow citizens is determined by advances in technology. Especially with AI, we are now at a pivotal moment- while it can be transformative, it can also deepen the digital divide.”

Aparajita Bharti, Founding Partner, The Quantum Hub, said, “Women's access to digital devices, skills and participation is a layered problem. WiDEN is designed to align research, policy and industry partnerships so solutions directly respond to these gaps.”