Summary
Introduction
Engages with digital tools with real-time support, building basic capability through guided use.
Uses digital tools independently for a defined set of tasks, within a limited and stable repertoire.
Navigates digital tools independently across contexts, including more complex and evolving systems.
Pathways Segment
Of Reproductive Age Women
Devices
Relevance
Mobile Ownership (DHS-8 2023)
Smartphone Ownership
Uses Mobile for Financial Transactions
Any Internet Use Last Month
Functional Use
Entirely offline use centred on basic communication, with occasional assisted transactions and limited access to entertainment or learning through radio and stored media.
Mixed use centred on WhatsApp for communication, information, and some business support, with largely passive engagement through shared content within networks.
Data-led use across platforms for entertainment, transactions, and information, supporting home-based economic activity, content creation, and engagement within networks.
Functional Use Deep Dive
Reach and Connection
Uses the phone primarily for making and receiving calls, typically with family, and occasionally to connect with customers.
Uses the phone for calls and messaging, mostly through WhatsApp, to stay connected with family, friends, and customers.
Uses multiple social media platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook to actively build and sustain personal and business networks.
Entertainment and Stress Relief
Entertainment is generally limited to listening to the radio and occasionally music stored on an SD card.
Primarily consumes content that circulates within existing networks. May stay updated through WhatsApp Status and TikTok, and consume entertainment shared via Xender. Engagement is largely passive.
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
Learning tends to occur passively through radio, often limited to religious programming.
Learning is largely passive and shaped by shared and downloaded content, often centred on religion or relationship advice. While information may not be actively sought, engaging with posts on social media may influence algorithms to surface related material over time.
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
Receives money via Wave cards or USSD and may rely on others for withdrawing cash.
Uses the Wave app for sending and receiving payments and may require facilitation for certain transactions.
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
Digital use does not typically extend to self-promotion or personal expression.
Takes photos but typically shares them within close circles. Social media use may be cautious and selective, using WhatsApp to source products and status updates for personal or business purposes within known networks.
Takes photos and creates videos, posting on platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and Snapchat for both personal expression and business promotion.
Health and Finance Tracking
Does not typically engage in financial or health tracking on digital devices.
Does not typically engage in financial or health tracking on digital devices.
May use specialised apps such as menstrual cycle trackers (e.g. Flo).
Findings Across Personas
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
For women in less vulnerable segments, phones may serve as immediate and self-directed health resources, supporting navigation of reproductive and maternal care and broader family well-being.
Learnings from Interactive Voice Response Survey
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
In urban Senegal, among the 203 women with small businesses who responded to questions on digital benefits, 15% mentioned being able to contact people for work as a key benefit of using digital.
In urban Senegal, among the 203 women with small businesses who responded to questions on digital benefits, 51% mentioned ease of financial transactions as a key benefit of using digital.
In urban Senegal, among the 203 women with small businesses who responded to questions on digital benefits, 51% mentioned being able to communicate with customers and suppliers as a key benefit of using digital.
Skills
Can Read Full Sentences
Cannot Read at All
No Education
Skills
Has minimal exposure and lower literacy, limiting use; learns through demonstration and repetition, often relying on others to complete tasks and on external facilitators for transactions.
Has limited exposure and education enabling basic smartphone use; learns through repeated guidance, managing familiar apps independently while relying on trusted others for more advanced tasks.
Has early exposure and some literacy enabling independent, wide-ranging use; learns through exploration and instruction, transferring skills across tasks, with occasional support for complex setup or troubleshooting.
Skills Deep Dive
Base Capabilities
Limited education and minimal early exposure may mean that learning begins in adulthood. Confidence in digital capabilities may be low, with use largely restricted to what others set up for her.
Limited early exposure through family or school, combined with limited formal education, enable comfort only in basic phone use.
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
Curiosity may be limited to basic communication and entertainment needs. Learns slowly through demonstration, repetition, and pattern recognition, and may hand over devices to facilitators to complete tasks rather than learning actively. Requires sustained guidance to build confidence.
Prefers guided instruction for new tasks and learns well from clear, repeated demonstrations. Once shown, she is generally able to retain knowledge and repeat familiar routines independently.
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
Relies on ongoing facilitation for basic phone operations such as saving contacts, reading messages, or using mobile money.
May still be transitioning from feature phone use and require ongoing facilitation for smartphone functions. She can typically manage frequently used apps such as WhatsApp and TikTok independently, while relying on others for more advanced functions. May need support with app setup, downloading and managing media, financial transactions, and troubleshooting technical issues.
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
Relies on whoever is available for assistance with basic phone use and depends on shopkeepers or mobile money agents for financial transactions.
Relies primarily on trusted circles such as spouses, children, or family members for facilitation. May turn to community members or professional agents when necessary.
Requires limited facilitation but may seek help for troubleshooting. Facilitators may include family members or professional technicians.
Findings Across Personas
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
Both women and their facilitators often link digital ability with formal education. This perception may shape how facilitators engage and how women assess their own potential, sometimes limiting what they attempt to learn.
Safety
Safety
Has a vague sense of digital spaces as unsafe, limiting use and relying on others for tasks such as financial transactions.
Lower confidence may result in cautious and passive engagement, with self-restriction and occasional reliance on others for support.
May manage online risks through careful and discreet use, including selective sharing and privacy-conscious behaviour.
Safety and Security Deep Dive
Perception of Risk
May hold a more generalised perception of digital spaces as unsafe, associating smartphone use with broader moral or reputational risk.
Aware of scams and may have experienced them. May fear reputational harm in addition to financial loss.
Aware of potential financial scams and recognises that increased online visibility may heighten exposure.
Response to Digital Risks
Fear of reputational harm or exposure to inappropriate content may result in limiting use to basic devices or essential communication only.
Remains cautious in online spaces and may limit her digital footprint to reduce exposure to gossip or misinterpretation. Confidence in navigating risks may vary, leading her to engage selectively rather than withdraw entirely. May avoid posting in open forums, while remaining active within trusted groups. When encountering suspicious activity, she may seek support from trusted others.
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.
Findings Across Personas
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
Phones, particularly smartphones, are often described as vulnerable to theft in urban spaces. Women may adopt protective strategies such as concealing devices in public or leaving them at home in perceived high-risk areas. While these tactics may enhance safety, they can also limit continuity of access.
Learnings from Interactive Voice Response Survey
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
Among the 385 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on phone security, approximately 60% reported using PINs or passwords as a security measure on their phones.
Affordability
Is in the Top 40% by Household Wealth Nationally
Has Year Long Employment or Livelihood Activity
Participates in Household Decision Making
Household has Electricity
Device Resourcing
Typically acquires a second-hand or hand-me-down basic phone after marriage to remain reachable, relying entirely on others for airtime.
Typically gains smartphone access in adulthood, often through gifts from husbands for specific occasions or needs; may use mid-range or second-hand devices, with shared WiFi access but reliance on others for data.
Has early access through family and may acquire smartphones as gifts or through self-purchase, often linked to aspirations of belonging and modernity; manages her own data and has steady access to WiFi.
Discontinuities
Likely experiences extended disruptions, relying on others for repair, replacement, and airtime; may have to manage battery charge due to poor battery quality and inconsistent electricity at home.
Disruptions may be felt acutely, with limited resources to manage them; adapts through borrowing, sharing, and restricting usage, with connectivity fluctuating based on others’ financial capacity.
Even minor disruptions may be felt acutely due to extensive use and are addressed quickly through repair or replacement; manages airtime and data strategically, using WiFi for intensive activities where available.
Resourcing and Purchasing Deep Dive
Early Access to Device
Likely to gain access to a basic phone after marriage, often through a husband, primarily to remain reachable. Prior to ownership, access may depend on shared or borrowed devices.
May have had early access to a basic phone, but more commonly gained independent access to a smartphone in adulthood.
Likely to have had early access to a phone through parents or siblings, either purchased for school or shared within the household.
Current Device Access
Likely uses a basic or feature phone, though may occassionally own a smartphone. Devices are invariably second-hand and replacement occurs only when the existing device becomes unusable and is dependent on others’ financial capacity or availability of a spare device.
Typically uses a mid-range Android smartphone with limited storage and moderate reliability. Devices are often provided by husbands or partners, or acquired as hand-me-downs when others upgrade. Replacement may be delayed until the device is beyond repair. Some may save independently over time to purchase a device if needed.
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.
Access to Data, Airtime and Charging
Almost entirely dependent on others for airtime.
Often relies on her husband or family members for data and maintenance costs. May access Wi-Fi through shared household or neighbour networks, though continuity depends on the stability of those arrangements.
Manages her own SIM, airtime, and data purchases. Access to stable Wi-Fi may be purchased within the household or accessed through shared networks.
Learnings from Interactive Voice Response Survey
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
Among the 582 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on internet access, 61% reported having access to WiFi, which appears to be higher than in other geographies.
Discontinuities Deep Dive
Disruptions Caused by Financial Shocks, Damage, Degradation and Loss
May experience prolonged periods of disconnection when dependent on others for replacement. Borrowing may be occasional and primarily limited to basic communication needs.
Disruptions may be experienced acutely, though resolution often depends on family or personal finances and may take time. She may attempt repairs before replacement and adapt by borrowing or sharing devices, limiting use to essential communication during these gaps.
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.)
Largely dependent on others for airtime top-ups, which may result in intermittent communication gaps.
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.
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
Typically has home access to electricity, though recurring short interruptions may occur due to outages or battery degradation associated with second-hand devices. May manage usage carefully during these periods.
Typically has home access to electricity, though recurring short interruptions may occur due to outages or battery degradation associated with second-hand devices. May manage usage carefully during these periods.
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.
Findings Across Personas
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
Women’s phone use may be perceived as less essential than men’s, and devices may function as shared household resources. This can result in temporary interruptions when children use the phone and longer disruptions when men’s digital needs take precedence.
Learnings from Interactive Voice Response Survey
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
Among the 80 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on mobile data use and spending, the median frequency was once per month, at a median cost of $3.30 for 4 GB of data, which may suggest relatively infrequent, higher-value data recharges.
Among the 582 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on phone charging, approximately 17% reported charging their phones at stations outside their homes.
Among the 21 women in urban Senegal who reported using charging stations outside the home, phones were kept there for an average of 10 hours per week.
Norms
Has Internalised Domestic Violence
Impact of Control and Coercion on Digital Access and Use
Less influenced by normative expectations due to limited use; may perceive smartphones as risky and prefer basic devices.
Self-restricts use in response to normative expectations, with cautious and mostly passive engagement within trusted networks.
Aware of societal expectations but able to navigate digital spaces with relative independence, participating across social media and online groups.
Norms Deep Dive
Norms, Control and Coercion
Normative scrutiny may be limited where use is confined to a basic device and essential communication.
Sensitive to normative expectations and may self-regulate by keeping engagement mostly passive - viewing rather than posting - and limiting participation to trusted WhatsApp groups. May avoid apps perceived as inappropriate in order to minimise social risk.
Aware of normative expectations around phone use and navigates them with relative confidence. Participates across platforms while managing visibility and boundaries.
Findings Across Personas
Independent Intermediate,
Independent Advanced
In less vulnerable households, women may not face direct restriction but are still expected to conform to community norms. Advice and warnings around appropriate use often reinforce expectations related to modesty, safety, and social propriety. Autonomy is typically negotiated within these boundaries.
Learnings from Interactive Voice Response Survey
Independent Intermediate
Among the 582 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on phone monitoring, approximately 20% reported that their phones were checked by family members.
Among the 115 women in urban Senegal who reported that their phones were checked, 67% indicated that this checking was done by spouses or partners.
Among the 371 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on community perceptions, 57% reported that phones are perceived by community members as a distraction for women from their obligations.
Among the 390 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on acceptable phone use, 91% expressed that women should restrict their activities on social media to what is considered normatively acceptable.
Among the 582 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on phone monitoring, approximately 20% reported that their phones were checked by family members.
Among the 115 women in urban Senegal who reported that their phones were checked, 67% indicated that this checking was done by spouses or partners.
Among the 371 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on community perceptions, 57% reported that phones are perceived by community members as a distraction for women from their obligations.
Among the 390 women in urban Senegal who responded to questions on acceptable phone use, 91% expressed that women should restrict their activities on social media to what is considered normatively acceptable.
