There is a harsh reality in digital development: Women need much more than a phone to bridge the digital gender gap. They needed to overcome the gender norms that impede their access to basic digital literacy and technology use.
This is what we found in the pilot study we conducted with Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Uganda and Rwanda that involved approximately 2,605 VSLA members, 79 percent of whom were women.
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In our pilot, 73 percent of participants did not own a smartphone, and more than a quarter of women had no phone access at all. Yet we found that access alone wasn’t the issue with gender disparities in mobile phone ownership and usage. We needed to reshape the operational dynamics of VSLAs in a digital world.
Understanding the Gender Digital Divide
We conducted qualitative research at the start of the pilot program which provided insights into barriers that women face. It demonstrated a critical element of our work: We must center women’s voices as we design digital interventions. Here’s what we found:
- Husbands are the primary gatekeepers for married women: For married women, husbands act as gatekeepers, preventing women from purchasing a phone. Male relatives, community leaders, religious leaders and friends also heavily discourage it, because they worry it will cause physical or economic conflict at home.
- It is dangerous to put phones in women’s hands when their male partners do not have one: The gender aspect here lies in the underlying power imbalance and societal norms that frame women’s technology use as suspicious or inappropriate, especially in the absence of male supervision.In contexts where a woman owns a smartphone and her husband does not, she may be viewed with suspicion, as technology is often linked with infidelity or misconduct in these settings. This can lead to accusations, domestic violence, and further restrictions on her autonomy. The danger is exacerbated by the societal expectation that men should have control over family assets, including technology.Thus, when women gain access to smartphones independently, it challenges the status quo, potentially putting them at risk. Addressing this issue requires community-based interventions that promote gender equality and the safe, shared use of technology within households, reducing the perceived threat to male authority while emphasizing the collective benefits of digital access.
- Affordability is a problem for urban groups. Relevance is the issue for rural groups: In urban areas, while smartphones are more widely adopted, the high cost of devices and data disproportionately impacts women, who often have lower income levels and less financial independence than men. This financial barrier exacerbates the digital gender divide.In rural areas, the issue is compounded by the perception that digital technology is irrelevant to daily life, particularly for women whose roles are traditionally confined to domestic and agricultural work.This relevance gap, coupled with lower digital literacy, further marginalizes women, limiting their access to tools that could enhance their economic opportunities, such as improved agricultural practices, financial services, and market connections.These barriers reinforce existing gender inequalities, hindering women’s participation in the digital economy.
- Group members place low emphasis on girls’ education: Girls throughout Uganda face lower levels of education, which directly impacts digital use and control, as well as financial capabilities. Without education, women’s economic opportunities remain limited, which increases their dependency on men for income. This makes it more difficult to identify the benefits of economic opportunities through digital technology.
- More Training is Needed: Partner staff and trainers need additional training on how to discuss smartphones and technology with men, including husbands who are reluctant for their wives to own phones and community and religious leaders.
Shifting Norms Through Education
Given the strong influence of gender norms on technology access, we recognized the need to engage individuals and groups who could positively shape these norms. We focused on male family members, community gatekeepers, and leaders, understanding that their support was crucial for reducing potential risks for women in VSLAs and securing broader community buy-in for our pilot initiatives.
By involving these influential figures, we aimed to create a more supportive and accepting environment for women’s digital engagement.
Additionally, our research indicated that local partners needed enhanced communication skills to effectively deliver gender-transformative digital capability messages. We provided training on how to discuss smartphones and other technologies within households, particularly addressing the concerns of men who were hesitant or reluctant for their wives to own phones.
This comprehensive approach was key to fostering a more inclusive and gender-sensitive dialogue around technology use.
Transforming Gender Norms
Our pilot project initiated a social and behavior change communication campaign anchored around the “Echoes of Change” radio drama, which played a pivotal role in shifting gender norms related to women’s technology use. By engaging key community figures and facilitating inclusive discussions, the campaign successfully challenged restrictive beliefs and cultivated a more supportive environment for women’s digital inclusion.
The use of mass media, community events, and targeted VSLA discussions not only encouraged women to embrace technology but also helped men recognize its benefits, leading to wider acceptance of women’s digital empowerment. For more information on our approach to digital capability and messaging.
Tailored Interventions
As part of our research, we developed four distinct personas reflecting the different experiences and needs of VSLA members. This included a rurally isolated woman, an entrepreneur, an urban woman and a refugee.
For example, a refugee’s needs may be very different to those of a rural entrepreneur in that she could use technology to identify local resources compared to a rural entrepreneur using technology to better manage her business. Different interventions were then mapped for each persona ranging from basic training on feature phones and how to use mobile money through to more advanced training in e-commerce and digital marketing.
As affordability and access to devices was also a major barrier, we formed strategic collaborations with local partners, such as KEIPhone in Uganda. Devices were provided to women at no cost through KEIPhone’s innovative asset financing where lock screen advertising is used to offset the cost of the devices. The primary goal of these collaborations was to build a sustainable and supportive ecosystem.
What Next for VSLA?
As we move forward, it’s evident that tailoring digital solutions to the unique context of women in VSLAs is crucial. Our learnings from this pilot emphasize the need for a more nuanced, women-centric approach in leveraging technology for empowerment, one that aligns more closely with the actual needs and constraints of our participants.
This experience has reminded us that in the quest to bridge the digital divide, listening to and prioritizing the voices of women is not just a good practice, but a fundamental necessity.
To our peers and supporters working with savings groups: Join us in integrating women’s digital inclusion into VSLA programming. Together, we can create a digitally inclusive environment where every VSLA member can thrive.
Eric Kaduru is the Senior Technical Advisor for Digital VSLA at CARE,
