Digi collaborates with GSMA in commitment to reduce mobile gender gap in Malaysia

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate publication

Digi collaborates with GSMA in commitment to reduce mobile gender gap in Malaysia
Among the first GSMA operator members and only Malaysian mobile operator to support the global Connected Women Commitment initiative to extend mobile internet and mobile money services to more women

SHAH ALAM, 25 FEBRUARY 2016 - Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd ("Digi") today announced its support of the GSMA Connected Women Commitment initiative at the Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona. The company is among the first GSMA operator members, and the only Malaysian mobile operator to have made a commitment to work hand-in-hand with GSMA and global mobile operators to reduce the mobile gender gap by connecting millions more women in low- and middle-income countries by 2020.

Digi alongside other worldwide mobile operators will seek to increase the proportion of female customers to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. This builds on the 15 million women already benefiting from female-focused services offered by the GSMA's Connected Women operator partners.

"Digi is happy to partner with the GSMA in a collective effort to bring mobile connectivity to more women globally. In Malaysia, six million women have yet to access the internet, and bridging the digital gender gap will help ensure these women can be active participants and contributors in the digital economy. We hope to see every Malaysian woman connected and empowered because we believe these efforts will cause a socio-economic ripple effect for the betterment of families, communities and society at large. In support of the GSMA's Connected Women initiative, we commit to increasing the proportion of women in our mobile internet customer base in Malaysia from 42 per cent to 47 per cent by 2020."

Aligned with these efforts to connect more women digitally, Digi recently introduced its Digi Wanita Era Digital (DigiWED) programme to bring the benefits of the internet to more Malaysian women. This new programme is a nationwide outreach to drive greater internet adoption and basic internet literacy among women to enable their involvement in the digital economy. DigiWED is a digital collaboration between Digi, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the National Council of Women's Organisations (NCWO).

More information on:

• The Digi Wanita Era Digital programme is available at www.digi.com.my/wanita.
• The GSMA Connected Women Commitment initiative, click here or visit www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-releases.