Framing gender in Pakistan’s digital policies: a critical examination through capabilities and decolonial feminist lenses

Purpose The authors problematize prevailing narratives surrounding gender in Pakistan’s digital policy landscape. Focused on challenging the dominant perspectives emanating from the Global North, our study seeks to contribute to the development of more inclusive policies. By applying the capabilities approach and decolonial feminism, they aim to investigate the intersectional vulnerabilities and gendered precarity perpetuated by the current framing of digital inclusion. This research endeavors to dismantle the simplistic notion of digital platforms as a universal remedy for gender equality and instead emphasizes the importance of context-sensitive and decolonial perspectives. Design/methodology/approach They adopt a combination of the capabilities approach and decolonial feminism to critically examine the portrayal of gender within Pakistan’s digital policy landscape, unraveling the underlying assumptions, discourses and ideologies shaping the gender gap framing in the context of digital inclusion. They treat policy documents as active agents shaping social reality, using content analysis to analyze the epistemic methods used in generating knowledge about the gender gap in digital inclusion. Findings Our study reveals that the gender gap framing in Pakistan’s digital inclusion is influenced by specific assumptions, discourses and ideologies embedded in policy documents. They shed light on how misrepresentation and instrumentalization contribute to intersectional vulnerabilities faced by women. Originality/value By treating policy documents as active agents shaping social reality, they provide a unique perspective on the gender gap in digital inclusion. This study challenges established narratives originating from the Global North and advocates for more inclusive policies. Our theoretical framework unveils the complexities of gender dynamics in digital platform work informing contextually positioned policymaking.