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 2022)
98%Smartphone Ownership
34%Uses Mobile for Financial Transactions
93%
Reach and Connection
Use is largely focused on personal communication. Uses WhatsApp to send and receive voice notes with known contacts, with limited use beyond this.
Entertainment and Stress Relief
Primarily consumes content passively, often when she has access through a shared device. Entertainment may centre on music and video content shared via Bluetooth, Xender, or memory cards. May also use offline apps such as Bible apps, games, or basic photo filters, with engagement oriented toward consumption rather than posting or active participation.
Learning and Growth
May come across information incidentally but does not typically search widely across platforms. May use WhatsApp groups to share with known networks and ask specific questions (e.g., sharing images of plants and seeking advice).
Transactions and Financial Security
Uses M-Pesa for transactions and may use related services such as Pochi accounts or savings features within the M-Pesa ecosystem.
Self Promotion and Expression
Engagement is largely passive and oriented toward consumption rather than 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
20%Partner Works in a Professional or Managerial Role
12%Has Year Long Employment or Livelihood Activity
37%
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.
May rely on hand-me-down or shared phones and may need to request access for livelihood-related use. Devices, when purchased, are often second-hand. For online use, she may rely on her partner’s phone.
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
84%Cannot Read at All
5%Has Secondary and Above Education
31%
Base Capabilities
May have some prior exposure through shared devices and can read basic instructions, but may still require support to navigate new tasks. Knows basic navigation and functionality and may explore social media passively or engage in offline sharing.
Learning Style
Requires hands-on, demonstrative guidance when learning new tasks. May need step-by-step support initially for social media navigation or offline sharing, but can manage familiar tasks independently once routines are established. Exploration may still be done independently, particularly if she prefers not to rely on others.
Learning Needs
May require assistance with account setup, basic navigation of social media apps, advanced Bluetooth sharing settings, and loading airtime or data bundles.
Facilitators
Partners, when present, may play a significant role in teaching device use, including through shared use.
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
48%Participates in Household Decision Making
68%Household has Electricity
48%
Disruptions caused by Financial Shocks, Damage, Degradation and Loss
May rely on lower-quality hand-me-down smartphones or feature phones that experience more frequent technical issues and relatively expensive repairs, potentially leading to recurring interruptions. Access to backup or shared devices may not always be available.
Managing Recurring Costs (data, airtime etc.)
Data, when used, is often carefully managed. Disruptions may lead to temporary self-restriction of use. Likely to buy shorter-lasting data bundles, downloading content for later viewing, or using lighter versions of apps, like Facebook Lite. If there is no data use, she only needs to actively monitor phone storage and airtime.
Charging Cycles
May actively manage usage to conserve battery. In cases of shared phone use, battery management may become more important and influence frequency of use.
Perception of Risk
May have a general awareness of digital risks and is likely to have heard of scams, misleading content and obscenity from others in her network. Could also come across potential online scams herself.
Response to Digital Risk
May self-restrict by avoiding unknown links or limiting engagement on social media. May add passwords when sharing phones with children. When uncertain about content, she may seek verification from trusted others.