How do they use their phones?
Women use their phones to stay connected, manage financial transactions, consume entertainment, express themselves, and access information for everyday needs. Patterns of use are shaped by relevance, familiarity, and the constraints of their social and material contexts.
Mobile Ownership (DHS-8 2024)
99%Smartphone Ownership
12%Uses Mobile for Financial Transactions
38%
Reach and Connection
Uses phones to maintain contact with family members as well as customers and suppliers, if they are working. For some this may include WhatsApp based communication, especially voice notes. Some may rely on messaging when airtime is low or inconsistent.
Entertainment and Stress Relief
Primarily consumes content passively and largely offline, including videos, games, and media shared via Xender, Bluetooth, or memory cards, and sometimes WhatsApp. May use the phone as an additional screen alongside television or other media.
Learning and Growth
Learning opportunities are limited. Use is not typically oriented toward intentional information-seeking or skill development. May find information via WhatsApp groups.
Transactions and Financial Security
Uses USSD to make and receive payments.
Self Promotion and Expression
Use does not extend to self-promotion or personal expression.
Tracking
Does not typically engage in financial or health tracking on digital devices.
How do they get access to their phones?
Access to phones is often mediated through family and social networks, with devices acquired, shared, or supported through these relationships. Patterns of ownership, control, and continuity vary across geographies and reflect broader gendered and economic conditions.
Is in the Top 40% by Household Wealth Nationally
77%Partner Works in a Professional or Managerial Role
12%Has Year Long Employment or Livelihood Activity
79%
Access to Device and Consumables
Unlikely to have had her own phone in childhood but may have accessed phones belonging to parents or older siblings.
Women are more likely to depend on others, such as husbands, partners, sponsors, or older brothers, for access. This reliance can limit autonomy, with some women using hand-me-down devices or phones acquired without their input.
Airtime and data (rarely) may be provisioned intermittently, often by a family member, resulting in periodic gaps in access.
How do they learn how to use their phones?
Women build digital capability over time through a combination of early exposure, literacy, and support from others. Facilitators, such as family members, peers, or intermediaries often play a role in shaping how skills are developed and how confidence is built.
Can Read Full Sentences
42%Cannot Read at All
26%Has Secondary and Above Education
55%
Base Capabilities
Limited early exposure combined with moderate levels of literacy and education can make learning less intuitive and require persistence.
Learning Style
Likely learns out of necessity, relying on demonstration and repetition to learn new tasks.
Learning Needs
Has likely learnt a limited set of skills needed for her livelihood. Anything beyond that will likely require support and sustained teaching. Data-led use (rare) will require handholding from facilitators.
Facilitators
Facilitation often begins only after acquiring her own device and may be intermittent.
What are the challenges they navigate?
Women navigate interruptions in access, limitations in resources, and a range of digital risks. Their use of phones is shaped by social expectations and relationship dynamics, which influence when, how, and how freely they are able to stay connected.
Has Internalised Domestic Violence
11%Participates in Household Decision Making
78%Household has Electricity
80%
Managing Recurring Costs (data, airtime etc.)
Recurring costs such as airtime and rarely data are a frequent source of disruption. She may actively manage usage to avoid depletion, with interruptions occurring when she has to wait for top-ups.
Device Repair and Reliability
Likely to rely on faulty or second-hand phones, leading to a higher incidence of breakdowns. Repairs can be costly and may result in extended periods of disrupted use.
Perception of Risk
Likely aware of common threats and may have heard about negative experiences around obscenity and fraud within her network.
Response to Digital Risk
Likely to continue using digital tools, but may reduce or restrict engagement if threats persist or feel difficult to manage.