Generation Encore (Gen E) refers to adults aged 50 and above. Digital exclusion within this population extends beyond whether an individual has access to a device or internet connection. It encompasses differences in digital resources, skills, motivation, confidence and the ability to participate meaningfully in increasingly digital environments (Ge et al., 2025).
Gender is an important dimension of this issue. Among older adults, digital exclusion varies by gender, with rural older women experiencing the highest levels of exclusion (Yang & Du, 2021). Understanding this disparity requires consideration of the circumstances through which digital capabilities and opportunities develop over time.
This paper examines three interconnected areas that can contribute to digital exclusion among Gen E women: technological exposure, economic and material conditions, and confidence, self-efficacy and social support.
Technological exposure can vary with education, employment and caregiving circumstances. Employment provides opportunities for continued interaction with digital systems. At the same time, periods of reduced labour-market participation can reduce access to workplace-based technological learning. Across OECD countries, women continue to have lower labour-force participation and working hours than men. Gender gaps in labour-market outcomes generally widen over the life course as women’s unpaid workload increases (OECD, 2025). These patterns matter because women now exceed men in tertiary educational attainment in most OECD countries, suggesting that differences in later-life opportunities cannot be explained simply by lower educational attainment (OECD, 2025).
Economic conditions can further shape digital participation. Digital inclusion requires more than connectivity; suitable devices, reliable internet access and the resources needed to maintain them also matter (Ge et al., 2025; Wale et al., 2025). Gendered differences in employment, working hours and earnings can accumulate over the life course, contributing to differences in economic security later in life (OECD, 2025). Differences in economic resources are also associated with differences in digital exclusion among older adults (Yang & Du, 2021).
Confidence and self-efficacy also influence digital engagement. Previous experiences, perceived difficulty, security concerns and access to social support can shape willingness to use unfamiliar technologies (Ewe et al., 2023; Jin & Fan, 2022). Security concerns are particularly relevant where digital participation involves financial or personal information. In 2024, adults aged 60 and above reported nearly $2.4 billion in fraud losses to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC, 2025).
These factors should not be considered independently. Differences in technological exposure can affect practice opportunities, economic constraints can limit sustained participation, and difficult experiences can affect confidence. Reduced confidence can then limit further engagement, creating conditions in which earlier inequalities continue to influence digital participation.
The implications extend beyond digital skills training. Digital inclusion initiatives must also consider affordability, access, opportunities for continued learning, social support, security and the usability of digital environments. Understanding digital exclusion as a cumulative and multidimensional phenomenon provides a stronger basis for developing approaches that support meaningful and sustained digital participation among Gen E women.
Download the White Paper here: Understanding Digital Exclusion Among Gen E Women
