Decentralized but not Equal: Gender Disparities in Digital Finance across the South Caucasus and Moldova

The advancement of gender equality is not only a matter of social justice, but also an economic imperative in the drive towards financial inclusion, financial literacy, and financial independence for women. While the technology and finance sectors have long grappled with gender disparities, the unique characteristics of blockchain and virtual assets present their own set of complexities. The gender gap in blockchain literacy and in the virtual assets sector is a multifaceted challenge that warrants close examination. This report focuses on the extent of the gender gap within the new technology realm and its implications in four OSCE participating States: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to this divide and propose actionable strategies to bridge it. The analysis highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by women, such as the gender disparities in Web 3.0 education, understanding and skills, including ownership and utilization of cryptocurrencies and provides a series of recommendations which the OSCE and other organizations can take to address gender disparities in digital finance.