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)
92%Smartphone Ownership
84%Uses Mobile for Financial Transactions
64%
Reach and Connection
Use is largely focused on personal communication, including making and receiving calls on WhatsApp.
Entertainment and Stress Relief
May passively consume videos on TikTok or through WhatsApp forwards when data is available. May make deliberate choices about what to download when data is limited.
Learning and Growth
Learning tends to be passive and need-driven, often through TikTok or WhatsApp, with information filtered through trusted contacts or groups.
Transactions and Financial Security
Primarily uses the Wave app for sending and receiving payments.
Self Promotion and Expression
May post infrequently but could share occasional business updates on WhatsApp.
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
14%Has Year Long Employment or Livelihood Activity
24%
Access to Device and Consumables
May have had early access to a hand-me-down phone through family or school, but more typically gains independent access in adulthood - often when a suitor, husband, or family member purchases one to mark an occasion such as marriage.
Typically has a basic smartphone, often a hand-me-down. A new device is usually acquired only out of necessity, when a previous phone is damaged or unusable, and is commonly purchased by a spouse or family member. In some cases, she may self-purchase after saving over time.
Often depends on others for airtime and data purchases. May have occasional access to Wi-Fi but may need to seek it out actively.
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
22%Cannot Read at All
71%
Base Capabilities
Is likely to have had little early exposure and has limited literacy, but this is often sufficient for independent passive use of frequently used apps such as TikTok and WhatsApp.
Learning Style
Motivated to learn when driven by practical needs or influenced by community use. May benefit from step-by-step demonstrations of new tools and is willing to ask for help when needed.
Learning Needs
May need support managing online and offline media, downloading content, installing apps such as WhatsApp and Wave and using them for business-related purposes.
Facilitators
Relies on family and friends for support with more complex digital functions and may turn to external facilitators such as shopkeepers for mobile money assistance.
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
25%Participates in Household Decision Making
25%Household has Electricity
67%
Disruptions caused by Financial Shocks, Damage, Degradation and Loss
Disruptions are experienced as significant, especially when affordability is a constraint and can result in extended delays. In some cases, temporary gaps may be managed through borrowing.
Managing Recurring Costs (data, airtime etc.)
Actively manages data use and may have occasional access to shared Wi-Fi. Data depletion can cause short but frequent disruptions to communication and learning. These interruptions may extend when she depends on others to purchase data.
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
May experience more direct normative expectations, leading to self-limiting behaviours around phone use. Digital activity may remain passive and aligned with what is considered socially acceptable.
Perception of Risk
May have heard of scams but may lack the skills or confidence to identify and navigate them independently.
Response to Digital Risk
Remains cautious and largely passive, limiting downloads to reduce exposure. May self-restrict in response to fear or uncertainty. May also seek guidance when encountering unknown or suspicious activity.