On January 24, the House approved, by voice vote, H.R. 600, the Digital Global Access Policy (GAP) Act.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), would encourage developing countries to improve “mobile and fixed access to the Internet” in order to improve, among other things, “economic growth…health, education…and gender inequality….”
The legislation notes that women are disproportionately affected by the digital divide and that “bringing an additional 600 million women online would contribute $13 billion to $18 billion to annual Gross Domestic Product across 144 developing countries.”
