Section 2 | FOUNDATIONAL FACTORS in particular—are perceived as reflecting differences in students’ professional interests according to what is culturally acceptable. For the most part, according to key informants IREX INSIGHT and focus-group discussants, these differences are not generally articulated as intrinsic The subtlety of the gender differences in technical ability among boys and girls but ascribed to personal preferences. digital divide especially among Gender norms around public and private-sphere activities also help to explain the urban youth in Myanmar and disconnect between women’s educational attainment and post-education employment the tendency to dismiss gaps in data that indicate lower labor-force participation rates and higher unemployment for access and skills as natural are women than men:102 After graduation, key informants explained, young women are typically significant obstacles to closing expected to stay at home, regardless of the skills and knowledge they have acquired. For those who participate in the labor force, jobs requiring travel (such as in the growing tourism the gap. industry) or long hours (such as ICT startups) are deemed inappropriate—by women and their families, whether spouses or parents. Interestingly, key informants involved in education denied gender differences in digital skills among professionals such as instructors at private schools and ICT institutes, but readily generalized about such differences in the general public. Men and boys were described as having more access and skills because they are more curious about mechanical devices (ICT hardware, cars, machines) and more motivated to learn about technology. In contrast, women and girls were described as more reluctant to try new things and learn new skills beyond the minimum needed to get a job. Several felt the generational digital divide was more marked. As one ICT instructor from Taunggyi in Shan State explained, “it is less about gender than age. People over fifty are not familiar at all with ICTs and don’t see how technology can help them.” 102 Ibid. Ending the Gender Digital Divide in Myanmar: A Problem-Driven Political Economy Assessment | 35