Abstract
A large segment of women in developing countries is lagging behind because of civil wars, limited access to education, unfavorable regulations, family responsibilities, and prejudicial culture that favors a muscular workforce. Considering its scalability, ubiquity, neutrality, inclusiveness, and low cost, distance education holds the potentials for empowering underrepresented groups. We describe it as a system, outline its advantageous qualities and feature its role in enabling women to access education, utilize online resources, boost their agency, and achieve collective actions. Yet, there is a need for awareness, policies and programs that expand its affordability, bridge the digital divide, and enlarge the share of women in the labor market.