Women & Mobile: A Global Opportunity
A study on the mobile phone gender gap in low and middle-income countries

Mobile phone ownership in low and middle-income countries has skyrocketed in the past several years. But a woman is still 21% less likely to own a mobile phone than a man. Closing this gender gap would bring the benefits of mobile phones to an additional 300 million women. By extending the benefits of mobile phone ownership to more women, a host of social and economic goals can be advanced.

The Women & Mobile report is the first comprehensive view of women and mobile phones in the developing world. This report, sponsored by the GSMA Development Fund and Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, explores the commercial and social opportunity for closing the mobile gender gap. The report builds off of a survey conducted with women on three continents to show their mobile phone ownership, usage, barriers to adoption and preferences. The report shows how mobile phone ownership can improve access to educational, health, business and employment opportunities and help women lead more secure, connected and productive lives.  It also includes ten case studies highlighting the strategies and tactics that both mobile network operators and non-profit organizations across the globe are implementing to increase the usage and impact of mobile phones around the world.

Release Date: February 2010
Available format: PDF
Pages: 57

Report Download

Women & Mobile: A Global Opportunity
Emerging Market Speaker Series on the Report

In the past decade, mobile phones have become the most ubiquitous technology in the developing world, delivering access to advanced communications and information to many people for the first time. Yet millions of women are being left out of the benefits of mobile phone ownership, which has major implications given women's role in social and economic development. In this webinar, Vital Wave Consulting shared the results of a major new report on the mobile phone gender gap it authored with the support of the GSMA Development Fund and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Presentation Date: March 25, 2010

Presentation Download