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 2023)
83%Smartphone Ownership
19%Uses Mobile for Financial Transactions
45%
Reach and Connection
Use is primarily limited to making and receiving calls as needed. Text messages may be sent or read with assistance from others.
Entertainment and Stress Relief
May rely on others for offline content shared via Xender, often storing available media without actively selecting it. May also use the radio for entertainment.
Learning and Growth
Learning opportunities may be limited, with little active searching across platforms.
Transactions and Financial Security
Relies on Wave cards or USSD to receive money. May be able to send money but often depends on others for facilitation.
Self Promotion and Expression
Use does not typically extend to self-promotion or personal expression.
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
8%Has Year Long Employment or Livelihood Activity
21%
Access to Device and Consumables
Unlikely to have had early access to a device. Access often begins in adulthood, frequently through a husband after marriage.
Relies primarily on receiving hand-me-down phones from a husband or family member to meet essential needs. Access may be delayed depending on household finances or availability.
Largely dependent on others for airtime purchases.
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
13%Cannot Read at All
81%
Base Capabilities
Unlikely to have had early exposure. May rely on memorisation to navigate basic functions and depend on others for tasks beyond routine use.
Learning Style
Learning tends to be needs-based and centred on basic communication and entertainment. Limited digital literacy and confidence may slow skill development, with learning occurring through repetition, memorisation, and pattern recognition. Often requires sustained and patient support.
Learning Needs
Requires ongoing assistance for phone setup, reading messages, saving or retrieving contacts, and accessing offline media.
Facilitators
Children often act as key facilitators. May also depend on external actors, such as shopkeepers, for support with mobile money transactions.
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
28%Participates in Household Decision Making
24%Household has Electricity
60%
Disruptions caused by Financial Shocks, Damage, Degradation and Loss
May experience significant and prolonged disruptions, often relying on others for basic communication during extended gaps. Replacement may be delayed for months or even years depending on household resources.
Managing Recurring Costs (data, airtime etc.)
May be dependent on others for airtime top-ups, which can result in temporary interruptions, particularly between pay cycles. During these periods, communication is often limited to incoming calls. Giving a missed call may function as a mitigation strategy.
Charging Cycles
Is likely to have access to electricity at home, though recurring short interruptions may occur due to outages or battery degradation associated with second-hand devices. May manage usage carefully during these periods.
Norms, Control and Coercion
Limited normative scrutiny where use is confined to essential communication or livelihood needs.
Perception of Risk
May hold a more generalised fear of digital harm, including concerns about social scrutiny or reputational damage.
Response to Digital Risk
May limit use to essential needs and rely on facilitators when encountering potential threats.