Motivation
Digital connectivity is increasingly central to women’s economic participation in Bangladesh, enabling access to work, financial services, and information. At the same time, digital engagement exposes women to risks such as online harassment, financial fraud, privacy breaches, and relational surveillance. These risks often lead women to self-censor, limit platform use, or disengage from digital tools altogether, undermining the promise of digital inclusion. Despite growing attention to connectivity and access, women’s digital safety remains under-measured and poorly understood, particularly in low- and middle-income contexts. This study addresses this gap by conceptualizing digital safety as a core capability and examining how safety conditions shape women’s ability to translate digital access into economic participation, agency, and well-being in Bangladesh.
Objective
The study aims to develop and validate the Digital Safety and Risk Scale (DSRS), a context-specific measurement tool capturing women’s digital safety, risk exposure, and enabling conditions. Grounded in Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, the research examines how access, safety, and agency interact to shape women’s digital experiences and economic outcomes. The study aims to develop and validate the Digital Safety and Risk Scale (DSRS), a context-specific measurement tool capturing women’s digital safety, risk exposure, and enabling conditions. Grounded in Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, the research examines how access, safety, and agency interact to shape women’s digital experiences and economic outcomes. Using a mixed-methods design, the study proceeds in three phases: qualitative interviews and participant documentation with 100 women to identify key domains of digital risk; development and pilot testing of a structured survey instrument; and quantitative validation using factor analysis and regression models to assess reliability, validity, and predictive power in relation to women’s economic participation and well-being.
Proposed impact
This study will generate the first validated, empirically grounded measure of women’s digital safety in Bangladesh, with relevance for other low- and middle-income countries. The DSRS will enable researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to systematically assess how digital risks constrain women’s economic engagement and agency. Findings will inform gender-responsive digital policies, digital literacy and safety programming, and platform- and community-level interventions. By embedding safety within digital inclusion agendas, the study advances more sustainable and equitable approaches to women’s economic empowerment through digital connectivity.
