Kiwi women catch the cyber wave

By BRIDGET CARTER

Our women are the fourth highest cyber-surfers in the world and are now clocking up almost as many hours as their male counterpart, the Kiwi bloke.

But they jump off line faster than men, are fussier about internet products and are more efficient with the web.

ACNielsen/NetRatings data from May shows that New Zealand and Finland have the fourth highest female internet use in the world, behind the United States, Canada and Australia.

The study shows women are more efficient in their web behaviour than men, and are showing an increasing willingness to buy online.

ACNielsen spokesman Brian Milnes said women were later adapters of the internet, but were now making up for the lag.

"Globally, we have found that women are a fussier breed of surfer than their male counterparts."

In New Zealand, more than 50 per cent of women are active online between 4 pm and 8 pm. Males' surfing peaked between 8 pm and 10 pm. The number of female internet users each month was up nearly 10 per cent since January, to around 450,900 for May, Mr Milnes said.

"In New Zealand, several local domains have met success in targeting the female demographic: ticketek, flybuys, nzjobs and pumpkinpatch."

InternetNZ executive director Sue Leader said the results were not surprising.

"[The internet] is a way for women to get out there on equal footing."