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)
99%Smartphone Ownership
98%Uses Mobile for Financial Transactions
90%
Reach and Connection
Uses multiple social media platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook to actively build and sustain personal and business networks.
Entertainment and Stress Relief
Actively seeks out and engages with content across multiple social media platforms. May download media over Wi-Fi to reduce data costs.
Learning and Growth
Actively searches on platforms such as Google, TikTok, Facebook or Youtube for information across a range of topics, including education, politics, religion, and health. (eg.health information for children).
Transactions and Financial Security
Primarily uses the Wave app for bill payments and transactions linked to WhatsApp-based buying and selling. May also use ride-sharing or delivery apps with integrated payment systems.
Self Promotion and Expression
Takes photos and creates videos, posting on platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and Snapchat for both personal expression and business promotion.
Tracking
May use specialised apps such as menstrual cycle trackers (e.g. Flo).
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
86%Has Year Long Employment or Livelihood Activity
48%
Access to Device and Consumables
Likely to have had early access to a phone through parents or siblings, either purchased for school or shared within the household.
May express a desire to upgrade to a newer or more advanced phone when device becomes outdated or is damaged. Upgrades may occur through exchanging an older device. Preferences may be shaped by trends, brand awareness, and peer influence, with iPhones being viewed aspirationally. May request one or purchase it independently, depending on financial liquidity.
Manages her own SIM, airtime, and data purchases. Access to stable Wi-Fi may be purchased within the household or accessed through shared networks.
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
59%Cannot Read at All
29%
Base Capabilities
Some literacy in French, combined with early exposure to phones, may support her ability to manage a wide range of digital activities independently.
Learning Style
Curious and motivated to learn new functions. Explores apps by following instructions, learning through trial and error, and researching solutions before seeking help. Able to transfer learning across devices and from past experience.
Learning Needs
May require one-time support for more complex tasks such as account setup (iCloud or Google), transferring data between devices, or basic video editing. Once shown, she is typically able to continue independently.
Facilitators
Requires limited facilitation but may seek help for troubleshooting. Facilitators may include family members or professional technicians.
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
46%Household has Electricity
97%
Disruptions caused by Financial Shocks, Damage, Degradation and Loss
Disruptions may be felt acutely due to extensive and integrated use. Repairs or replacements are often prioritised to maintain continuity. She may have relatively greater capacity to access repair services or replace devices when needed.
Managing Recurring Costs (data, airtime etc.)
Actively manages data and airtime to balance cost and connectivity. May use mobile data for daily communication and transactions, while switching to household or workplace Wi-Fi for data-heavy activities such as streaming, downloads, or app updates.
Charging Cycles
Generally has access to electricity at home. During outages, interruptions may be minimal, as she adapts by charging at nearby centres or using backup sources.
Norms, Control and Coercion
Aware of normative expectations around phone use and navigates them with relative confidence. Participates across platforms while managing visibility and boundaries.
Perception of Risk
Aware of potential financial scams and recognises that increased online visibility may heighten exposure.
Response to Digital Risk
May take proactive steps to maintain privacy and safety, such as selective sharing, blocking contacts, and adjusting privacy settings. May share content considered sensitive within trusted private groups, and use deletion or device locks to manage potential misuse. Generally confident in identifying and managing financial and normative threats through careful and discreet phone use.