Web is not working for women, girls: Internet founder
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He also said that a 'dangerous trend' of abuse threatens the progress made towards achieving gender equality.
"The web is not working for women and girls," were the words of Tim Berners-Lee, who created the world wide web on Thursday.
Berners-Lee made these remarks in an assessment published on the World Wide Web Foundation, an initiative by him that fights for free and open web for everyone.
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He also said that a "dangerous trend" of abuse threatens the progress made towards achieving gender equality.
"The world has made important progress on gender equality thanks to the unceasing drive of committed champions everywhere," he said.
"But I am seriously concerned that online harms facing women and girls -- especially those of colour, from LGBTQ+ communities and other marginalised groups -- threaten that progress."
Berners-Lee also said that the abuse was so extensive that "over half of young women surveyed have experienced violence online", citing a report from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
The internet founder also highlighted that discrimination gets further triggered as a lot of women could not get the access to the internet.
He also said that men are 21 per cent more likely to be online, increasing to 52 per cent in the world's least developed countries.
Berners-Lee said such inequalities brings the risks of "Contract for the Web", a global action plan he initiated a year ago to prevent the web becoming a "digital dystopia".
(With AFP inputs)