Around the world, mobile and internet access is rapidly increasing. Unique mobile user penetration reached 68% in January 2018, up 4% year on year and internet penetration reached 53% – up 7% year on year (Kemp 2018).
However, mobile and internet access is not growing equally. In low and middle income countries, women are on average 10% less likely than men to own a phone. Globally, 184 million fewer women own a mobile phone than men. This gap is even wider with regard to mobile internet, with women 26% less likely to use it than men in these countries (Rowntree: 2018). If this gendered access gap is to be effectively addressed it needs to be understood. In particular, little is known about mobile access for adolescent girls.
This was reaffirmed through the expert interviews that were a component of this study. Experts in international development, gender, and mobile technology noted that adolescent girls are generally subsumed within the broader category of ‘women’. However, they often experience different and additional challenges. This difference could affect their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour regarding mobile phones. This study was born out of the need to understand the intricacies of girls’ access and usage of mobile phones.
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This research conducted by Tactical Tech and partners argues that WhatsApp is now a primary means of delivery for political messaging in many countries in the Global South, with particularly strong penetration in rural communities where internet is accessed mostly via smartphones.