Connected Women The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2021 Copyright © 2021 GSM Association The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators and nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA GSMA Connected Women At Ipsos we are passionately curious about people, markets, brands and society. We deliver information and analysis that makes our complex world easier and faster to navigate and inspires our clients to make smarter decisions. With a strong presence in 88 countries, Ipsos employs more than 16,000 people and has the ability to conduct research programmes in more than 100 countries. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is controlled and managed by research professionals. www.ipsos.com For this study, Ipsos worked with the GSMA as a fieldwork partner and, as such, is not responsible for the analysis or conclusions in this report. The GSMA’s Connected Women programme works with mobile operators and their partners to address the barriers to women accessing and using mobile internet and mobile money services. Connected Women aims to reduce the gender gap in mobile internet and mobile money services and unlock significant commercial opportunities for the mobile industry and socio-economic benefits for women. For more information, please visit www.gsma.com/connectedwomen GSMA Intelligence GSMA Intelligence is the definitive source of global mobile operator data, analysis and forecasts, and publisher of authoritative industry reports and research. Our data covers every operator group, network and MVNO in every country worldwide – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. It is the most accurate and complete set of industry metrics available, comprising tens of millions of individual data points, updated daily. GSMA Intelligence is relied on by leading operators, vendors, regulators, financial institutions and third-party industry players, to support strategic decision making and long-term investment planning. The data is used as an industry reference point and is frequently cited by the media and by the industry itself. Our team of analysts and experts produce regular thoughtleading research reports across a range of industry topics. www.gsmaintelligence.com info@gsmaintelligence.com Published June 2021 Basis Research is a consumer research consultancy working with global clients to deliver insight activation. Our qualitative team tackles research briefs of all kinds, using a range of innovative methods to build bespoke methodologies for our partners. From conducting ethnographic deep-dives into harder to reach communities, to constructing novel ways to discuss sensitive topics in challenging contexts, we draw from our experience to adapt to the unique challenges of markets in the global south. We have applied this expertise to our partnership with the GSMA, crafting an approach tailored to the specifics of the Mobile Gender Gap Report Series. http://basisresearch.co.uk For this study, Basis worked with the GSMA as a partner in the qualitative field research and analysis. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of Basis. This material has been funded by UK Aid from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government’s official policies. This document has been financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. Sida does not necessarily share the views expressed in this material. Responsibility for its contents rests entirely with the author. GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 CONTENTS Introduction 2 Key findings 5 The mobile gender gap in 2021 10 The journey to mobile internet use 14 The gender gap in mobile ownership 16 The gender gap in smartphone ownership 22 The growing awareness of mobile internet 26 The gender gap in mobile internet use 28 Understanding women’s mobile use 33 Recommendations 47 Appendix 1: Barriers to mobile internet use 51 Appendix 2: Mobile use cases 56 Appendix 3: Methodology 59 Endnotes 62 Authors and contributors Lead author: Isabelle Carboni Supporting authors: Nadia Jeffrie, Dominica Lindsey, Matthew Shanahan, Claire Sibthorpe Contributors: Caroline Butler, Mariana Lopez Fieldwork partner: Ipsos, Basis The GSMA would like to thank the following organisations who generously shared their insights on Kenya and India to inform this report: Asphalt & Ink, BBC Media Action India, Branding Beyond Borders, Busara, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), Microsave, Purple Audacity, Quality Control Afrika (QCA), Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), World Vision India and World Vision International. The findings in this report do not necessarily represent the views of the organisations interviewed for this research. GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Introduction Owning a mobile phone and accessing the internet can be life changing. The scale and reach of mobile technology is enabling billions of people around the world to access crucial services and information to meet their life needs, often for the first time. Over 3 billion people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) now access the internet on a mobile phone.1 Mobile is the primary way men and women access the internet in developing countries, accounting for 85 per cent of broadband connections in 2020.2 Yet, mobile ownership and use remain unequal. While 83 per cent of women across LMICs now own a mobile phone and 58 per cent use mobile internet,3 women are being left behind in an increasingly connected world. Women are still less likely than men to have access to mobile phones and use mobile services. This is particularly true for women who are the most underserved, including those who have low literacy levels, low incomes, live in a rural area or have a disability.4 However, gender itself is a factor in many parts of the world. Analysis shows that even when women have the same levels of education, income, literacy and employment as men, they are still less likely to own a mobile phone or use mobile internet, suggesting that other issues are at play, such as discrimination and social norms.5 In this unprecedented year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, access to mobile and mobile internet have become more important than ever.6 Mobile has provided people with a way to continue living their lives despite lockdown restrictions, serving as a vital tool to access critical information, services and opportunities. Mobile has enabled people to stay connected, to keep working or earning an income, to access important services such as education and healthcare, to search for accurate information and to purchase the goods they need. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women who have not only taken on more household responsibilities and educating their children from home, but also suffered the loss of jobs and income.7 Despite this, the pandemic does not appear to have had a negative overall impact on women’s mobile ownership and use compared to men. However, while mobiles have been valuable tools during the pandemic, especially during lockdowns, certain countries are showing some early indications of a negative and disproportionate impact on women’s access to and use of mobile phones. It remains to be seen how the pandemic will impact this in the future, as it continues to evolve across the world, leaving tragic health and economic outcomes in its wake. 2 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 For women to become equal citizens in an increasingly digitalised, post-COVID world, closing the mobile gender gap has never been more critical. Mobile phones are valued by women as life-enhancing tools that make them feel more autonomous, connected and safe. Mobiles provide access to important information that assists them in their daily lives and that they would not have received otherwise.8 Addressing the mobile gender gap is also vital to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many of the SDGs, including those related to health, education and financial inclusion, are supported or underpinned by connectivity in a variety of ways. Sizing the mobile gender gap annually and generating regional and country-level data draws attention to this issue and provides key evidence to inform action. This work is particularly crucial now, in light of COVID-19, to help ensure that gains in gender equality are not lost and that existing inequalities are not exacerbated. In this fourth edition of the Mobile Gender Gap Report series, we consider how women’s mobile access and use are changing across LMICs, and how efforts to reach women with this technology should continue to evolve. . The report provides: • U pdated figures on the gender gap in mobile ownership (including smartphones), the gender gap in mobile internet use in LMICs and how these figures have changed; • A review of the barriers preventing male and female mobile users from adopting mobile internet; • N ew data on men’s and women’s confidence performing tasks on a mobile and how they could learn new tasks; and • Q ualitative insights from India and Kenya that highlight how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced women’s use of mobile internet and access to smartphones. The findings in this report draw on the annual GSMA Consumer Survey, which this year had over 9,000 respondents from eight LMICs.9 This face-to-face survey was conducted between 4 October 2020 and 8 January 2021.10 Additional qualitative research was conducted in Kenya11 and India12 to develop a more nuanced understanding of women’s access to and use of mobile internet, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative research was conducted in March 2021 with mobile internet users and expert stakeholders. Analysis of other research and data from the GSMA, and a range of other organisations that investigate and track the mobile gender gap, also inform the findings of this report. 3 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 4 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Key findings 1. Women’s access to mobile internet continues to increase across low- and middle-income countries, while mobile ownership remains relatively flat: 83 per cent of women own a mobile phone and 58 per cent use mobile internet.13 Women are also more likely than men to access the internet exclusively on a mobile handset in most of the countries surveyed, which highlights the importance of both increasing mobile access for women, as well as reducing the mobile gender gap. 4. Mobile owners are using their phones for a wider range of activities, with notable increases in the use of mobile internet for video calls, listening to music and watching videos. However, there is a persistent gender gap, with female mobile owners using a narrower range of mobile services than male owners. Encouragingly, across the countries surveyed, female smartphone owners are almost on par with male owners in terms of mobile internet adoption and the range of mobile services they use. 2. The gender gap in mobile internet use continues to reduce, with women in low- and middle-income countries 15 per cent less likely to use it than men. This reduction has been driven primarily by South Asia where it decreased significantly from 50 per cent in 2019 to 36 per cent in 2020. For the first time, the gender gap in mobile internet use in South Asia is now on par with Sub-Saharan Africa, where the gender gap remains largely unchanged. Across low- and middle- income countries there are still 234 million fewer women than men accessing mobile internet. 3. While the overall gender gap in mobile ownership remains largely unchanged since 2017, the gender gap in smartphone ownership has reduced for the first time since then, driven by South Asia where these gaps have consistently been widest. Across low- and middleincome countries, women are now seven per cent less likely to own a mobile phone, which translates into 143 million fewer women mobile owners than men.14 Women are also 15 per cent less likely to own a smartphone than men, down from 20 per cent in 2019. While COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns have increased the need for connectivity, in some countries, there are early signs that the pandemic may be disproportionately negatively impacting women’s handset ownership. 5. The gender gap in awareness of mobile internet continues to reduce across all countries surveyed, with awareness continuing to increase for both men and women. 6. Mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it report that the main barriers to use are a lack of literacy and digital skills and affordability, particularly the cost of an internetenabled handset. Handset affordability is also a key barrier to mobile ownership. 7. F emale mobile users feel less able than male users to learn a new activity on a phone by themselves. However, once they have done a task, their confidence in being able to do it again is almost on par with male users. 5 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES: 58% of women now use mobile internet But there are still 234M FEWER WOMEN than men accessing it The mobile internet gender gap continues to reduce 15% Women are now less likely to use mobile internet than men, down from 27%in 2017 South Asia has seen a significant reduction in the mobile internet gender gap: from 50% in 2019 to 36% in 2020 Women are MORE LIKELY than men to access the internet exclusively on a mobile handset Women’s mobile ownership remains largely unchanged 83% ofwomen own a mobile phone Women are 7% less likely than men to own a mobile phone 143M fewer women than men own a mobile 6 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES: The gender gap in smartphone 2017 ownership has reduced for the first time since Women are now 15% less likely than men to own a smartphone Mobile owners are using their phones for a WIDER RANGE of activities, with notable increases in video calling, listening to music and watching videos The gender gap in awareness of mobile internet continues to reduce MOBILE INTERNET USE: Top three barriers for female mobile users who are aware of mobile internet: 1. Literacy and skills 2. Affordability 3. Safety and security Female mobile users feel less able than male users to learn a new activity Addressing the mobile gender gap is an important way to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals on a phone by themselves 7 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 8 DEFINITIONS GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 GENDER GAP The gender gap in mobile phone ownership and mobile internet use is calculated using the following formula: = Gender gap in ownership / use (%) Male owners / users (% of male population) Female owners / users (% of female population) Male owners / users (% of male population) MOBILE OWNER “Mobile phone owner” and “mobile owner” are used interchangeably in this report to mean a person who has sole or main use of a SIM card or mobile phone that does not require a SIM and uses it at least once a month. The vast majority of SIM owners also have sole or main use of a handset (a median of 92 per cent across the sample countries, ranging from 84 per cent to 98 per cent). FEATURE PHONE OWNER A mobile owner that has sole or primary use of a feature phone. A feature phone is an internet-enabled mobile phone with a small screen and basic keypad with several letters per button. A feature phone may have some preinstalled apps, but does not have the ability to download apps from an online app store, such as Google Play or the App Store. Smart feature phones are a sub-group of feature phones and are not recorded as a separate category in the survey. SMARTPHONE OWNER A mobile owner that has sole or primary use of a smartphone. A smartphone is a mobile phone with a touchscreen display, an advanced operating system (Android or iOS) and the ability to download apps from an online app store, such as Google Play or the App Store. UNCONNECTED “Unconnected” or “unconnected population” refers to people who are not mobile owners, as defined above. MOBILE INTERNET USER A “mobile internet user” is a person who has used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in the last three months.15 Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone, and therefore can be non-mobile phone owners who use mobile internet by accessing it on someone else’s mobile phone. 9 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The mobile gender gap in 2021 Despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile phone ownership and mobile internet use among women increased or stayed the same in most of the countries surveyed. It remains to be seen how COVID-19 will impact these trends in the long term. Apart from a slight reduction in South Asia, the gender gap in mobile ownership remained largely unchanged across LMICs, with women seven per cent less likely than men to own a mobile phone (Figure 1). This gender gap is persistent and proving difficult to close. In fact, while mobiles continue to be prioritised as an important tool, there is some early evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic may be having a disproportionate negative impact on the type of handset women own in some parts of the world. The gender gap widens significantly for mobile internet use, although there has been a further reduction in this gap across LMICs. Women are now 15 per cent less likely to use mobile internet than men, a substantial decrease from previous years (Figure 1). Across LMICs, an estimated 112 million additional women started using mobile internet in 2020. In addition to other factors such as changing market dynamics, COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns have driven an increased need, and in some cases, the required justification for women to go online (see India in Focus). Further research is needed to track whether this trend will continue post-COVID. Gender gaps in mobile ownership and mobile internet use vary across regions, with the widest gaps in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (Figure 1). These gender gaps have shown little change in each region over the last few years, with the exception of South Asia where they have narrowed. Although the mobile internet gender gap in South Asia remains high at 36 per cent, the rapid reduction in recent years is very promising. For the first time, the gender gap in mobile internet use in South Asia is now on par with Sub-Saharan Africa. 10 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 1 Regional gender gaps in mobile ownership and mobile internet use, 2017–2020 GENDER GAP IN MOBILE OWNERSHIP 1% East Asia & 1% Pacific 1% 1% 2% Latin America & 1% Caribbean 1% 1% -1% Europe & -2% Central Asia -2% -2% Middle East & North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa South Asia 8% 9% 9% 9% 14% 14% 14% 13% 26% 28% 23% 19% GENDER GAP IN MOBILE INTERNET USE 5% 4% 3% 3% 6% 2% 1% 2% 5% 5% 4% 4% 18% 17% 19% 17% 37% 38% 36% 37% 67% 58% 50% 36% 9% 10% LMICs overall 8% 7% 25% 22% 19% 15% 2017 2018 2019 2020 Source: GSMA Intelligence, 2020 Mobile ownership is defined as having sole or main use of a SIM card (or a mobile phone that does not require a SIM) and using it at least once a month. Mobile internet use is defined as having used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in the last three months. Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone. The gender gap in mobile ownership and mobile internet use refers to how less likely a woman is to own a mobile (or to use mobile internet) than a man. Regional averages were calculated from country-level data. Based on survey results and modelled data for adults aged 18+. Some of the percentages show minor differences from previous reports. This is due to changes in the group of countries defined as “low and middle income” and the fact that our modelling uses the most up-to-date data from our survey and third-party sources. 11 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 12 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 AFRICA Country-level gender gaps in mobile ownership and mobile internet use There are significant variations between countries in men’s and women’s mobile ownership and mobile internet use, and the resulting size of the gender gap (Figure 2). In general, countries with the lowest levels of mobile ownership tend to have the widest gender gaps in mobile ownership and mobile internet use. In all countries surveyed, the gender gap in mobile ownership is smaller than the gender gap in mobile internet use. Even where the gender gap in mobile ownership is relatively small, there can be a substantial gender gap in mobile internet use. For instance, Kenya and Nigeria have gender gaps in mobile ownership of seven per cent and four per cent, respectively, and gender gaps in mobile internet use of 42 per cent and 29 per cent (Figure 2). The mobile gender gap also varies within countries. For example, gender gaps in both mobile ownership and mobile internet use tend to be greatest in rural areas and among certain populations, including those with lower literacy levels, low incomes, disabilities or over the age of 55 (see Box 1 and Box 3). Figure 2 Male and female mobile ownership and mobile internet use by country Percentage of total adult population MOBILE OWNERS (%) GENDER GAP MOBILE INTERNET USERS (%) GENDER GAP Algeria Kenya Mozambique Nigeria 64% 47% 91% 5% 86% 92% 7% 86% 27% 89% 4% 86% 63% 8% 58% 56% 42% 32% 28% 36% 18% 56% 29% 40% Bangladesh India Pakistan 84% 33% 24% 41% 64% 19% 79% 45% 15% 33% 67% 30% 78% 38% 34% 43% 52% 21% Guatemala 79% 8% 73% 67% 11% 59% Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Total population aged 18+ A mobile owner is defined as a person who has sole or main use of a SIM card (or a mobile phone that does not require a SIM) and uses it at least once a month. Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone. The gender gap in mobile ownership and mobile internet use refers to how much less likely a woman is to own a mobile (or to use X% mobile internet) than a man. = Gender Gap n= from 495 to 973 for women and n= from 471 to 1,153 for men 13 ASIA LATIN AMERICA GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The journey to mobile internet use Mobile continues to be the primary way people access the internet, particularly women With the proliferation of mobile phones and growth in internet-enabled handsets, including smart feature phones and smartphones, mobile is the primary way most people in LMICs access the internet. Across the eight survey countries in this study, a high proportion of respondents were found to access the internet exclusively from a mobile. The median proportion of internet users accessing it exclusively on mobile is 69 per cent, ranging from 52 per cent in Mozambique to 85 per cent in Bangladesh. In seven of the eight countries surveyed, female internet users were more likely than their male counterparts to access it exclusively via mobile. For example, in Kenya, 63 per cent of male internet users reported using the internet only via mobile compared to 79 per cent of female internet users. Women’s reliance on mobile to access the internet demonstrates the disproportionate benefit that increasing mobile internet access in LMICs would have for women. 14 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The gender gap widens at each stage of the mobile internet journey, with handset type playing an important role Acquiring, using and learning about digital services is not necessarily a linear process. Nevertheless, certain key stages and milestones can pose barriers to regular and diverse mobile use, preventing men and women in LMICs from reaping the full benefits of mobile. This report looks at each stage of this journey. Typically, the gender gap widens along each stage of the user journey, from mobile ownership to awareness of mobile internet, mobile internet adoption and regular mobile internet use (Figure 3). The gap is smallest for mobile ownership and increases for mobile internet adoption and regular use. Handset type is important in this user journey, and smartphones drive substantially higher mobile internet use. However, the gender gap in smartphone ownership is wider than for basic phone ownership. Across LMICs, women are 15 per cent less likely than men to own a smartphone,16 which closely mirrors the overall mobile internet gender gap. Figure 3 The mobile internet user journey 1 Mobile ownership 2 Awareness of mobile internet 3 Mobile internet adoption 4 Regular mobile internet use 15 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The gender gap in mobile ownership At the end of 2020, 83 per cent of women in LMICs owned a mobile phone, yet 374 million women were still unconnected. Across LMICs, growth in mobile ownership remains relatively flat overall, and the gender gap has remained largely unchanged since 2017. Women are now seven per cent less likely than men to own a mobile phone.17 The cost of a handset has consistently been the greatest barrier to ownership for both men and women over the last few years. However, as highlighted in last year’s report, the growth of smart feature phones has provided a lower cost alternative. Even so, female mobile owners are more likely than male owners to own a more basic handset. As illustrated in Figure 4, the gender gap in mobile ownership varies significantly by region. While South Asia still has the widest gender gap in ownership, this has reduced somewhat over the last few years (Figure 1). Of the countries surveyed, Pakistan has the widest gap in mobile ownership at 34 per cent (Figure 2). 16 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 4 Gender gap in mobile ownership in low- and middle-income countries, by region Total adult population OVERALL 83% Mobile ownership rate for women 7% Gender gap in mobile ownership 374m Women unconnected Middle East & North Africa 82% 9% Europe & Central Asia 92% -2% 13m 23m East Asia & Pacific 96% 1% Latin America & Caribbean 87% 1% 30m Sub-Saharan Africa 75% 13% 74m South Asia 67% 19% 201m 34m Gender gap -2% 37% Source: GSMA Intelligence, 2020 The gender gap refers to how less likely a woman is to own a mobile than a man. Mobile ownership is defined as having sole or main use of a SIM card (or a mobile phone that does not require a SIM), and using it at least once a month. Based on survey results and modelled data for adults aged 18+. 17 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Encouragingly, the COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to have led to an overall decline in mobile ownership among women, at least so far. Although women were more likely to have lost their jobs and experienced more financial strain from reverse migration in some markets,18 mobile ownership among women remained largely unchanged in 2020. However, there are some exceptions at the country level. In India, more women now own mobile phones, particularly smartphones, whereas there has not been much change for men (see the India in focus section). In contrast, in Kenya particularly but also in Nigeria and Mozambique, there is some evidence that women’s mobile ownership, particularly smartphone ownership, was negatively impacted over the last year compared to men’s (see Box 2 and Figure 6). Anecdotal evidence obtained while conducting the survey indicates that some men and women in certain surveyed countries sold their handsets to cope with financial stress. Further research is crucial to assess the long-lasting effects of the pandemic on women’s access to mobile. Box 1: The gender gap in mobile ownership varies between population groups The mobile ownership gender gap typically varies within the survey countries. This is due to a range of factors, including: Location: The gender gap in mobile ownership is widest in rural areas. For example, in Mozambique, there is a 16 per cent gender gap in mobile ownership in urban areas while in rural areas it is more than double, at 33 per cent. Literacy: Variations by literacy level are significant. For example, in Pakistan, the gender gap in mobile ownership is 46 per cent for those who are illiterate, compared to just 18 per cent among those who are literate. A ge: The mobile ownership gender gap varies by age cohort, but is highest for those over the age of 55 in most surveyed countries. In Bangladesh, the gender gap in mobile ownership is 17 per cent among 18 to 24-year olds, but it is more than double that for those over 55 years, at 46 per cent. Disability: Previous GSMA research shows that the gender gap in mobile ownership tends to be higher among persons with disabilities than those without disabilities. In Uganda, for instance, the gender gap in mobile ownership is 11 per cent among persons without disabilities and 42 per cent among persons with disabilities.19 Employment: The gender gap in mobile ownership is higher among the unemployed in most of the surveyed countries. In Nigeria, for example, there is no gender gap among people who are employed, but there is a nine per cent gap among people who are unemployed. 18 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 19 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Box 2: Kenya: the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be having a disproportionate impact on women’s mobile access and use Respondents in our qualitative research highlighted that the economic impact of the pandemic has been felt acutely in Kenya, especially by women. While overall mobile ownership remains largely unchanged among men in Kenya and smartphone ownership has grown, overall mobile ownership declined slightly for women, and the proportion of women who own a smartphone has not increased (Figure 5). In addition, Kenya was the only survey country where the gender gap in mobile internet use has widened, from 34 per cent in 2019 to 42 per cent in 2020. Women’s mobile internet use remained flat over this period while use increased for men. Figure 5 Share of population in Kenya by type of handset owned, 2019–2020 Percentage of total adult population 2019 MEN 2020 23% 25% 23% 14% 43% 47% 2019 WOMEN 2020 31% 34% 19% 32% 11% 32% Basic phone Feature phone Smartphone Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2019 and 2020 Base: Total population aged 18+ The total percentage of handset owners does not exactly match the percentage of mobile owners in Figure 2. Figure 2 captures people who have the sole or main use of a SIM card whereas Figure 5 is people who have sole or main use of a handset. Respondents are categorised according to their most advanced device owned, and can only be included in one category. Smartphone owners that also own a basic or feature phone are counted only as smartphone owners. n= from 523 to 545 for women and n= from 496 to 526 for men 20 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Box 2 continued: Kenya: the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be having a disproportionate impact on women’s mobile access and use Our qualitative research revealed that smartphones have been prioritised for men over women during the COVID-19 pandemic to seek new work opportunities, pass the time, stay socially connected and watch sports. “It makes work easier. I can keep my records...as a business person and type notes. I am selfemployed and still looking for work. So, I could Google for jobs and also entertain myself through WhatsApp, Facebook.” Male, 25–34, rural, Nyanza Furthermore, COVID-related financial strains on households tended to reinforce certain gender norms that disempower women financially. Men were typically permitted to spend any money they earned while women were usually expected to use their earnings for household expenses. “If a woman wants money, she has to explain why she wants that money. But for a man, it’s his money. So he will just buy a phone.” Quality Control Afrika The qualitative research showed a divergence of experience between mobile internet users who could no longer afford it and had to use it less, and those who could continue to use mobile internet and chose to use it more to continue their life online due to pandemic restrictions. “A phone is not a priority for me now, other things are; children going to school, buying food, clothing.” Female, 35–44, rural, Rift Valley For women who could access mobile internet, it provided a way to earn income when mobility was restricted during the pandemic. “I can say WhatsApp has helped me since I can take photos of my vegetables in the farm and ask someone if they would want such fresh vegetables. So, it is helping me to sell my vegetables.” Female, 35–44, rural, Nyanza Mobile internet also provided an important means for people to relax and escape the stresses of life during the pandemic through music and videos. Listening to gospel music in particular was mentioned as lifting women’s spirits. Female mobile internet users reported that Safaricom periodically sent bonus data via SMS, which provided some continued access. “We are trying to survive. Most things are not going on well. A lot of people are stressed and we need at least some happiness. You see a video that makes you laugh, you see a funny meme, you find someone posting an encouraging message. When I have a bad day, I go online and search for something that will make me happy.” Female, 35–44, rural, Nyanza 21 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The gender gap in smartphone ownership For the first time since 2017, the gender gap in smartphone ownership has reduced across LMICs. In 2019, women were 20 per cent less likely to own a smartphone, but this dropped to 15 per cent in 2020. However, this has largely been driven by South Asia, especially growth in smartphone ownership among women in India. There has been relatively little progress in reducing the smartphone gender gap in regions outside South Asia. Figure 6 demonstrates that smartphone ownership among women in India increased significantly in 2020 compared to other survey countries, and grew more rapidly among women than men. 22 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 6 Smartphone ownership, 2019–2020 Percentage of total adult population AFRICA Algeria Kenya Mozambique Nigeria Bangladesh India Pakistan Guatemala 22% 23% 18% 16% 68% 63% 55% 58% 42% 47% 32% 32% 39% 37% 48% 51% 21% 21% 14% 25% 20% 22% 36% 39% 37% 41% 37% 37% 48% 45% 58% 56% ASIA LATIN AMERICA 2019 2020 Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2019 and 2020 Base: Total population aged 18+ n= from 495 to 973 for women and n= from 471 to 1,153 for men 23 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The importance of smartphone ownership for mobile internet adoption The gender gap in smartphone ownership is even more significant in the context of the mobile internet user journey. Whereas the first stage of the journey, mobile ownership, can include a more basic device, smartphone owners are much more likely to progress to regular mobile internet use and meet a wider variety of needs. While women without internetenabled handsets often access mobile internet on other people’s phones, there is no substitute for personal ownership. Women and men who own a smartphone are much more likely to be aware of mobile internet and to use it than those who own a basic or feature phone (Figure 7). For example, in Nigeria, 93 per cent of female smartphone owners use mobile internet compared to only 12 per cent of women who own a basic or feature phone. When women own a smartphone, their adoption of mobile internet and the range of mobile services they use is almost on par with male smartphone owners (Figure 7). 24 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 7 Mobile internet user journey, by handset type 1 Mobile ownership Type of device owned 2 Awareness of mobile internet % of device owners that are aware of mobile internet 3 Mobile internet adoption % of device owners that use mobile internet 4 Regular mobile internet use Average number of weekly mobile internet use cases used by device owners 38-79% 0-24% 0-0.8 41-77% 2-35% 0-0.7 Basic phone Feature phone Smartphone 66-84% 65-91% 93-99% 94-100% 11-37% 9-59% 75-95% 76-95% 0.3-2.6 0.2-3.3 3.1-6.8 3.9-7.1 KEY The lowest and highest X-Y% X-Y proportion of male (or female) device type owners reaching this stage of the user journey, across countries Distribution of country-level results, lowest to highest The lowest and highest average number of mobile internet use cases, across countries Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Basic phone, feature phone and smartphone owners aged 18+ Respondents are categorised according to the most advanced device they own, and can only be included in one category. Smartphone owners that also own a basic or feature phone are counted only as smartphone owners. Respondents may have engaged in some use cases on a phone other than their own. Internet-based use cases were asked only of those who reported having used the internet on a mobile or other device in the past. n = from 71 to 220 for female basic phone owners, from 60 to 313 for male basic phone owners, from 36 to 115 for female feature phone owners, from 30 to 148 for male feature phone owners, from 89 to 324 for female smartphone owners and from 102 to 484 for male smartphone owners. Results for feature phone owners in three countries were excluded due to unweighted sample sizes below 30. The countries excluded were Algeria, Mozambique and Guatemala. 25 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The growing awareness of mobile internet Awareness of mobile internet is a critical step in the mobile internet user journey.20 The gender gap in awareness continues to narrow in all survey countries. Figure 8 highlights the significant growth in mobile internet awareness among both men and women from 2017 to 2020. Despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased reliance on mobile internet, there was not an acceleration of growth over the past year. As shown in Figure 8, there has been strong growth in mobile internet awareness among men and women in Nigeria, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan since 2017. Pakistan in particular has had consistent progress in increasing awareness of mobile internet and reducing the gender gap in awareness, with 72 per cent of women and 79 per cent of men now aware of mobile internet. Awareness of mobile internet has also increased substantially in India, including for women, but at 53 per cent, Indian women still have the lowest levels of mobile internet awareness in the surveyed markets. However, increased awareness of mobile internet and its benefits does not necessarily translate into usage. In all markets surveyed, a greater proportion of men and women are aware of mobile internet than are using it. For instance, in Bangladesh, 75 per cent of men and 66 per cent of women are aware of mobile internet, but only 33 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women are using it. This highlights the importance of addressing the barriers that prevent men and women from adopting mobile internet, even for those who are aware of it and its potential value. 26 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 8 Mobile internet awareness by country, 2017–2020 Percentage of total adult population AFRICA Algeria Kenya Nigeria 82% 91% 80% 89% 71% 85% 53% 74% 62% 86% 45% 78% ASIA Bangladesh India Pakistan 50% 75% 34% 66% 41% 69% 19% 53% 47% 39% 79% 72% LATIN AMERICA Guatemala 2017 2020 78% 89% 71% 87% Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2017 and 2020 Base: Total population aged 18+ A person is considered aware of mobile internet if they have either used mobile internet before, or have not used mobile internet but are aware they can access the internet on a mobile phone. Excludes Mozambique as it was not covered by GSMA Consumer Survey 2017 n= from 495 to 973 for women and n= from 471 to 1,153 for men 27 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 The gender gap in mobile internet use The number of people using mobile internet has grown rapidly over the last few years and the gender gap continues to decrease. Across LMICs, an additional 112 million women started using mobile internet in 2020.21 This growth is driven mostly by women in South Asia where 45 million women came online. This is noteworthy as South Asia has consistently had the largest gender gap, but between 2019 and 2020 it declined from 50 per cent to 36 per cent. For the first time, South Asia’s mobile internet gender gap is on par with that in Sub-Saharan Africa. The trends highlighted in last year’s report on changing market dynamics and price reductions in South Asia are likely to have contributed to this reduction. Despite these improvements, a substantial gender gap in mobile internet use remains across LMICs, with women 15 per cent less likely to use mobile internet than men, which is equivalent to 234 million fewer women. At a regional level, gender gaps in mobile internet use are greatest in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it has remained relatively unchanged since 2017, and in South Asia. Among our survey countries, the gender gap in mobile internet use is greatest in Kenya, Bangladesh and Pakistan (Figure 2). This unequal access to mobile internet deprives women of access to crucial information and services online, as well as opportunities to meet their life needs in an increasingly digital society. Encouragingly, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, women’s mobile internet use stayed the same or increased in every surveyed market, and the gender gap in mobile internet use improved or stayed the same in every survey country except Kenya. In Kenya, women’s mobile internet use has remained flat and men’s use has increased, creating an even wider gender gap (Box 2). 28 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 9 Gender gap in mobile internet use in low- and middle-income countries, by region Total adult population OVERALL Proportion of 58% women who use mobile internet 15% Gender gap in mobile internet use 933m Women not using mobile internet Middle East & North Africa 50% 17% 63m Europe & Central Asia 69% 4% 52m East Asia & Pacific 76% 3% Latin America & Caribbean 71% 2% 67m Sub-Saharan Africa 39% 37% 182m South Asia 38% 36% 372m 198m Gender gap -2% 37% Source: GSMA Intelligence, 2020 The gender gap refers to how much less likely a woman is to use mobile internet than a man. Mobile internet use is defined as a person having used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in the last three months. Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone, so the above figures also include those who used mobile internet on someone else’s phone. Based on survey results and modelled data for adults aged 18+. 29 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Box 3: The gender gap in mobile internet use varies between population groups The gender gap in mobile internet use typically varies within survey countries. This is due to a range of factors, including: Location: The gender gap in mobile internet use is wider in rural areas. For example, in Nigeria, the urban gender gap is 23 per cent while in rural areas this rises to 38 per cent. Literacy: The gender gap is narrower for men and women who are literate, but widens significantly for those who are illiterate. For example, in Mozambique, the mobile internet gender gap among those who are literate is 18 per cent, but rises to 62 per cent among those who are illiterate. Age: The gender gap in mobile internet use is greatest among those older than 55 in the majority of surveyed countries. In Bangladesh, women aged 18 to 24 are 39 per cent less likely to use mobile internet than men their age, whereas women over 55 are 82 per cent less likely than their male counterparts to use it. Disability: The gender gap for persons with disabilities is also significant. For example, in Mozambique, the mobile internet gender gap among persons without disabilities is 34 per cent, but this rises to 51 per cent for persons with disabilities. Employment: The gender gap is widest among the unemployed. For example, in Nigeria, the gender gap in mobile internet use is 19 per cent among those who are employed compared to 41 per cent among those who are unemployed. Understanding the barriers to mobile internet use As mobile internet adoption continues to rise among both men and women, it is important to understand how the barriers for non-users are evolving. Since awareness of mobile internet is growing faster than adoption, those who are aware of mobile internet clearly face other barriers to using it. In the survey countries, mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it were asked whether certain barriers were preventing them from doing so, and which was the most important barrier for them. Table 1 lists the top reported barriers to mobile internet use, both at a country level and across surveyed countries (see Appendix 1 for more detail). Across the surveyed countries, both male and female mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it reported that the top barrier preventing them from doing so is a lack of literacy and digital skills. Affordability, primarily of smartphones, is the second most important barrier. This overall ranking of the top two reported barriers has remained the same over the last few years. At the country level, there are variations in the top reported barriers. For example, while literacy and digital skills is the main barrier reported by both male and female respondents in the majority of survey countries, including all South Asian countries, affordability is reported as the greatest barrier in Kenya and Nigeria (Table 1). 30 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Literacy and digital skills are ranked as the top barrier to mobile internet adoption by both male and female mobile users across the surveyed markets. This barrier is a composite of five sub-barriers that include functional literacy as well as mobile-related digital skills. Of these sub-barriers, difficulties with reading and writing are the biggest concern highlighted by both male and female respondents, followed by not knowing how to access the internet on a mobile or not having enough time to learn. In five of the eight surveyed countries, difficulties with reading and writing are reported as an important barrier by more female respondents than male.22 In Algeria, for instance, 36 per cent of female mobile users and 20 per cent of male users who are aware of but do not use mobile internet cite difficulties with reading and writing as an important barrier. In Algeria, 36% of female mobile users and 20 per cent of male users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it cite difficulties with reading and writing as an important barrier Affordability is a critical barrier to mobile internet access for male and female users alike, particularly handset affordability. This is most evident in Sub-Saharan Africa where the price of a handset is ranked as the top barrier for both female and male respondents in Kenya and Nigeria. In Kenya, 42 per cent of male mobile users and 39 per cent of female mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but have not used it cited the cost of a handset as the single most important barrier to mobile internet adoption. Our qualitative research in Kenya revealed that the economic impact of COVID-19 has been severe and, for those already on the margins, affordability has pushed mobile internet even further out of reach (see Box 2). In Kenya, 42 per cent of male mobile users and 39% of female mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it cite the cost of a handset as the single most important barrier to mobile internet adoption Safety and security has consistently been a top barrier to mobile internet adoption among male and female mobile users in Latin America,23 and features again this year as the top barrier for male and female respondents in Guatemala (Table 1). In our qualitative research in India, female mobile internet users raised concerns about children’s safety online or exposure to harmful content, as well as fake news. This highlights how important it is for stakeholders to work collaboratively to ensure women and their families feel safe and secure when using the internet. Relevance of mobile internet continues to be a barrier preventing both male and female mobile users from adopting mobile internet, particularly in Bangladesh where 20 per cent of both male and female respondents identified lack of perceived relevance as the top barrier to adopting mobile internet. Access-related barriers cover a wide range of issues, so they are not grouped as a composite. Family approval is a critical barrier preventing female mobile users from adopting mobile internet. This was a greater barrier for female users than male users in every survey country except Guatemala – a reflection of the more conservative social norms influencing women’s choices and behaviour with respect to mobile technology. Family approval was ranked as one of the top three barriers to mobile internet adoption by female users in Algeria, Bangladesh and Pakistan, highlighting the importance of involving gatekeepers in efforts to increase women’s mobile internet access (Appendix 1). Notably, in Pakistan, where family disapproval is a significant barrier, there has been some improvement. Whereas last year this was reported as the single most important barrier preventing female mobile users from adopting mobile internet, this year family approval dropped by 10 percentage points as a barrier. This suggests that mobile internet use among women may be becoming more socially acceptable over time or that other barriers have become relatively more important. 31 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Table 1 Top barriers to mobile internet use in surveyed countries among mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it Based on the single most important barrier to using mobile internet identified by mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but have not used it in the last three months Ranking 1 2 3 All countries Women Men Literacy and skills Literacy and skills Affordability Affordability Safety and security Relevance Ranking 1 Algeria Women Men Literacy and skills Literacy and skills Kenya Women Men Mozambique Women Men Nigeria Women Men Affordability Affordability Literacy and Literacy and skills skills Affordability Affordability 2 Affordability Relevance Literacy and skills Literacy and skills Affordability Affordability Literacy and skills Literacy and skills 3 Family disapproval Affordability Relevance Relevance Safety and security No coverage Relevance Relevance Ranking 1 Bangladesh Women Men Literacy and skills Literacy and skills India Women Men Pakistan Women Men Literacy and Literacy and Literacy and Literacy and skills skills skills skills Guatemala Women Men Safety and security Safety and security 2 Relevance Relevance Affordability Affordability Family disapproval Relevance Literacy and skills Literacy and skills 3 Family disapproval Affordability Relevance Safety and security Relevance Affordability Affordability Affordability Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Adults aged 18+ who have used a mobile phone in the last three months but have not used mobile internet in the last three months on any device, despite being aware of mobile internet (excludes mobile users who are not aware of mobile internet). The barriers above are composite barriers. These composite barriers are aggregates (not averages) of the responses for between two and five sub-barriers (see Appendix 1). Access-related barriers are not grouped as a composite since they cover a disparate range of topics. Rankings indicate the relative aggregated proportion of respondents who answered, “This is the most important reason stopping me” to the question, “Which one of those factors would you say is the single most important reason stopping you from using the internet on a mobile phone?” ‘All countries’ barriers were calculated by averaging country-level data for the eight countries surveyed. n = from 65 to 197 for women and n = from 63 to 131 for men 32 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Understanding women’s mobile use Mobile internet provides access to new information and equal access to equal use. Yet, as outlined in Figure 10, opportunities. For women to truly reap the benefits female mobile owners are still using a smaller number of mobile internet, it is important to look beyond of use cases than their male counterparts. Mobile owners are using mobiles for a wider range of activities, but there is still a gender gap Mobile owners were asked about 22 distinct use cases on a mobile phone, including basic mobile services, such as sending SMS messages and making voice calls, through to more complex, internet-based use cases, such as watching video content online (Appendix 2). With few exceptions, male and female mobile owners across the survey countries reported using mobile phones for more use cases in 2020 than in 2019 (Figure 10). However, female owners still use a less diverse range of use cases than male owners. Across the survey countries, female owners used, on average, 3.3 to 7.1 use cases per week whereas male owners used 3.8 to 7.7 use cases. The greatest increase in the average number of use cases reported each week was among female mobile owners in India (Figure 10). 33 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 10 Average number of mobile use cases per week among male and female mobile owners, 2019–2020 7.7 7.2 7.1 6.1 6.7 5.9 4.6 4.2 5.9 5.8 4.5 4.7 6.3 5.3 5.0 4.6 4.5 4.0 3.3 2.9 6.7 5.6 4.9 3.2 4.0 3.8 3.1 3.3 7.5 7.6 6.2 6.3 Algeria Kenya Mozambique AFRICA Nigeria Bangladesh India ASIA 2019 2020 Pakistan Guatemala LATIN AMERICA Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2019 and 2020 Base: Mobile owners aged 18+ A mobile owner is defined as a person who has sole or main use of a SIM card (or a mobile phone that does not require a SIM) and uses it at least once a month. Respondents may have engaged in some use cases on a phone other than their own. Internet-based use cases were asked only of those who reported having used the internet on a mobile or other device in the past. The numbers in this graph reflect only those use cases performed on a mobile device. This weighted average for use cases is based only on use cases that were asked in both 2019 and 2020, to allow for a fair year on year comparison (full list of use cases in Appendix 2). n = 252 to 655 for women and n = 298 to 921 for men The changing nature of mobile use The specific use cases that mobile owners perform on a weekly basis vary by both gender and survey country. From 2019 to 2020, there were general increases in the use of video calls, free music and free videos by both male and female mobile owners. Notable increases include: Kenya: The percentage of female owners listening to free music online on a weekly basis increased from six per cent to 16 per cent, and from 12 per cent to 27 per cent for male owners. Bangladesh: The percentage of female owners watching free videos on a weekly basis increased from 11 per cent to 20 per cent and from 14 per cent to 29 per cent for male owners. India: The percentage of female owners using video calls on a weekly basis increased from 16 per cent to 34 per cent, and from 33 per cent to 44 per cent for male owners. For additional evidence on the changing nature of mobile internet use in India, see the India in focus section. 34 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Driving mobile use through increasing skills and confidence Building mobile-related digital skills is critical to reaping the full benefits of mobile and mobile internet. This has consistently been the top barrier to mobile internet adoption for male and female mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but have not yet used it. There is currently relatively little publicly available data on digital skills in LMICs, especially mobilerelated digital skills.24 Since digital skills are not easy to measure without testing actual proficiencies, proxy measures are often used. As a step towards addressing this gap, this year’s Consumer Survey included some new questions for mobile users25 to ascertain men’s and women’s self-assessed level of confidence with performing mobile-related tasks on their own. This included questions on tasks they had already performed on a phone, as well as tasks they had not yet performed. Questions referred to basic tasks, such as inserting a SIM, through to more complex tasks, such as editing photos or videos to share via social media.26 Respondents were also asked what they could do to learn a new task on a mobile phone and were provided with a multiple choice list of options to consider. These questions were asked to mobile users in seven of the eight survey countries.27 Although these questions do not directly measure mobile-related digital skills, they provide insights into men’s and women’s confidence using a mobile and their perceptions of how they could learn a new task. This is useful for informing digital skills training and approaches, specifically for women, and provides some insights to inform further research. Female mobile users are performing fewer tasks on mobile phones than men Figure 11 shows the ranges of male and female mobile users across our survey countries who reported they had completed each of the mobile-related tasks in the survey. It is important to note that performing a task is not necessarily an indication of skills. There are many reasons why a person may not have performed a task, from not having access to the right type of phone, to not having a need for the task, to being constrained by family disapproval. Most users have performed the basic task of inserting a SIM card, but other tasks, particularly those relating to mobile internet, have been performed by fewer men and women (Figure 11). Overall, female mobile users are less likely than male users to have performed each of these tasks. These gender-related findings applied across all survey countries and demographic segments analysed, such as rural or urban. Although female mobile users are less likely than male users to own a mobile, the findings still hold true when only handset owners28 or even just smartphone owners are considered. 35 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 11 Range of mobile users who reported they had performed a mobile-related task across survey countries Percentage of mobile users 100% 90% 80% Key Max Median Min 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Inserted SIM Set a password or PIN Looked for info in search bar or app Set up mobile hotspot Deleted files/ Changed Changed Created a apps to app settings on a video/ increase security/ mobile to photo and memory/ privacy set limit shared with space permissions on data multiple usage people at once Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Mobile users aged 18+ A mobile user is defined as a person who has ever used a mobile phone. A mobile user does not have to personally own a mobile phone, and therefore can be a non-mobile phone owner who uses someone else’s mobile phone. Guatemala is excluded since these questions were not asked there. n= from 375 to 882 for women and n= from 420 to 1,114 for men Edited media Female mobile users are less confident performing a new task on a mobile than male users Female mobile users were less likely than male users to feel confident performing a new task on a phone by themselves. This held true for all nine mobile-related tasks and across all countries in the survey, even when considering only those respondents who own their own mobile phone. Figure 12a illustrates this point, showing the share of mobile users who are confident using a search bar on a phone.29 Female mobile users who had never tried to use a search bar were less likely to feel confident doing this by themselves compared to their male counterparts. Encouragingly, female mobile users who had already performed a mobile-related task reported feeling confident repeating the task almost on par with male users. This finding applies for the majority of tasks in each survey country, including when only those who own their own mobile handset were considered. Figure 12b illustrates that female mobile users who had already used a search bar were almost as likely as their male counterparts to feel as confident doing it again on their own. This suggests that once women have tried a task on a mobile, their confidence in doing it again seems to increase substantially, and more so than for men. 36 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 12 Share of mobile users who are confident they could use a search bar on their own 12a. As a percentage of mobile users who had never used a search bar before 12b. As a percentage of mobile users who had used a search bar before 60% 100% 50% 98% 97% 99% 95% 90% 97% 97% 96% 98% 98% 94% 93% 95% 87% 80% 40% 30% 30% 20% 23% 24% 21% 22% 23% 26% 25% 21% 21% 17% 18% 16% 17% 10% 60% 40% 20% 0% Algeria Kenya MozambiqNuigeeria BangladesInhdia Pakistan 0% Algeria Kenya MozambiNquigeeria BangladeIsnhdia Pakistan Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Mobile users aged 18+ that reported never having looked for information by typing a word or phrase into a search bar or app on a mobile phone. Percentages indicate the proportion of mobile users who responded, “I would be able to do this on my own with ease and I would be able to teach others”, “I would be able to do this on my own with ease but I would not be able to teach others” or “I would be able to do this on my own but with difficulty” in response to the question, “Please tell me which of the following best describes your ability to do this if you had to do it today?” n= from 207 to 603 for women and n= from 187 to 595 for men Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Mobile users aged 18+ that reported having previously looked for information by typing a word or phrase into a search bar or app on a mobile phone. Percentages indicate the proportion of mobile users who responded, “I would be able to do this on my own with ease and I would be able to teach others”, “I would be able to do this on my own with ease but I would not be able to teach others” or “I would be able to do this on my own but with difficulty” in response to the question, “Please tell me which of the following best describes your ability to do this if you had to do it today?” n= from 77 to 283 for women and n= from 159 to 519 for men Female mobile users are less likely than male users to know how they could learn new activities on a phone Mobile users were asked what they could do to learn a new task on a phone, and were presented with a list of options from which they could select multiple answers. Figure 13 illustrates the responses from four markets, which are representative of the overall results. In all surveyed countries, female mobile users tended to identify fewer learning options than men, and female respondents in South Asia tended to identify fewer options than those in Sub-Saharan Africa. These results apply even when considering only those who own their own mobile handset. It is interesting to note that many respondents in Asia, especially women, reported that they “don’t know” any means of learning a new task even when presented with a list of options. In Pakistan, for instance, 34 per cent of female mobile users and 19 per cent of male users did not identify a single learning option (Figure 13). This suggests that women, especially women in South Asia, feel they have fewer options available to learn a new task on a phone. 37 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Female mobile users are less likely than men to feel able to learn a new task on a phone by themselves In all survey countries, fewer female mobile users than male users responded that they could learn a new task by themselves, whether by trial and error, searching on the internet or using other offline resources (see example countries in Figure 13). These results apply even when considering only those who own their own mobile handset. Interestingly, female mobile users in South Asia are usually even less likely to respond that they could learn a new task by themselves than female users in Sub-Saharan African countries surveyed. Figure 13 Percentage of mobile users reporting how they could learn to do something new on a mobile phone Percentage of mobile users Seeking external help Don’t know Other I could attend a formal training programme I could ask a mobile retailer I could ask a friend or a relative 1% 2% 8% 18% 68% Learn 3% by myself 7% 2% I could learn by myself using resources that do not require the internet I could learn by myself by searching on the internet I could learn by myself by trial and error 16% 4% 2% 3% 15% 5% 3% 13% 1% 76% 14% 14% 33% 19% 50% 45% 16% 19% 62% 5% 21% 4% 70% 3% 10% 8% 3% 13% 34% 8% 9% 15% 7% 2% 43% 42% 47% 6% 5% 1% 9% 50% 42% 5% 37% 6% 18% 3% 10% 9% 6% 2% 22% 20% 25% 20% Men Women KENYA Men Women NIGERIA Men Women INDIA Men Women PAKISTAN Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Mobile users aged 18+ Respondents were able to select multiple answers to the question, “Which of the following could you do to learn how to do something new on a mobile phone?” Therefore, bars total more than 100 per cent. n= from 440 to 882 for women and n= from 420 to 1,114 for men In-person digital skills training has the potential to significantly improve women’s mobile-related skills and confidence The findings highlighted in this section suggest that women could benefit significantly from in-person mobile-related digital skills training that focuses on repeating tasks demonstrated to them on a handset. Furthermore, since reading and writing difficulties continue to be a key barrier to mobile internet use, such training could highlight workarounds, such as speech-to-text. 38 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 39 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Box 4: Mobile money: an important mobile use case for women during the COVID-19 pandemic Mobile money has been an important financial service for men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic. With social distancing measures in place, mobile money provides a convenient, contactless channel to make and receive payments, save money and access credit. In many markets, governments and NGOs have leveraged the reach of mobile money to disburse social and humanitarian cash transfer payments to those excluded from formal financial services, most of whom are women.30 Given that mobile money accounts are usually relatively easy to sign up for, and can be accessed from a basic phone via USSD, mobile money is an important channel for women’s financial inclusion. Mobile money account ownership among men and women is well-documented by the Global Findex database.31 Based on the latest available data from 2017, women across LMICs were 33 per cent less likely than men to use mobile money.32 Our more recent survey data reveals that the gender gap in mobile money still persists (Figure 14).33 The gender gap in mobile money account ownership is even more crucial to address in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As economies struggle and lockdowns continue, a mobile money account can help women manage their finances and businesses, and receive crucial COVID-related social welfare payments safely and conveniently. Figure 14 Share of population that owns a mobile money account Percentage of total adult population 8% 94% 86% Kenya 33% 57% 38% 34% Mozambique 11% 7% Nigeria 66% 40% 73% 14% Bangladesh 15% 4% India 72% 19% 5% Pakistan 27% 3% 2% Guatemala X% = Gender Gap Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Total population aged 18+ n= from 495 to 973 for women and n= from 471 to 1,153 for men 40 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Box 4 continued: Mobile money: an important mobile use case for women during the COVID-19 pandemic Survey findings suggest that mobile money has helped women mitigate the impact of the pandemic. In the surveyed countries, both male and female mobile money users pointed out that COVID-19 restrictions had driven them to use certain mobile money use cases for the first time.34 This included using mobile money to purchase products (Figure 15), pay utility bills, manage savings and loans and receive social welfare payments. Across the surveyed countries, both male and female mobile money users reported adopting these new services at similar rates.35 Figure 15 Proportion of mobile money account owners that reported purchasing products via mobile money for the first time because of COVID-19 Percentage of mobile money account owners 25% 23% 22% 17% 12% 11% 13% 14% Kenya Mozambique Nigeria Bangladesh Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Mobile money account owners aged 18+ that are aware of COVID-19 Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who answered, “Applies to me” to the question, “Thinking now about Coronavirus and your use of mobile money, for each of the following please tell me whether this applies to you or not: I started purchasing products (food, clothes, items, etc) via mobile money because of Coronavirus.” n= from 114 to 499 for women and n= from 180 to 510 for men 41 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 India in focus: the rise of smartphones and mobile internet use among women In 2020, the number of women in India who reported using mobile internet and owning a smartphone grew rapidly, and even faster than for men. Compared to other surveyed countries, this growth for women in India has been exceptional. Last year’s Mobile Gender Gap Report highlighted this trend, but growth has been even stronger this year. In 2020, 25 per cent of Indian women reported owning a smartphone (Figure 16) compared to 14 per cent in 2019, and 30 per cent of Indian women reported using mobile internet, compared to 21 per cent in 2019 (Figure 17). It is interesting to note the changes in handset types owned by men and women in India from 2019 to 2020 (Figure 16). Overall, device ownership has remained flat among Indian men, but it has increased among women, driven primarily by smartphone ownership. In addition, the proportion of women who own a basic phone has declined substantially, from 31 per cent in 2019 to 23 per cent in 2020. Figure 16 Share of population in India by type of handset owned, 2019–2020 Percentage of total adult population MEN 2019 2020 29% 27% 9% 7% 37% 41% WOMEN 2019 2020 31% 23% 6% 14% 7% 25% Basic phone Feature phone Smartphone Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2019 and 2020 Base: Total population aged 18+ The total percentage of handset owners does not exactly match the percentage of mobile owners in Figure 2. Figure 2 captures people who have sole or main use of a SIM card whereas Figure 16 represents people who have sole or main use of a handset. Respondents are categorised according to the most advanced device they own, and can only be included in one category. Smartphone owners that also own a basic or feature phone are counted only as smartphone owners. n= from 973 to 1,099 for women and n= from 1,153 to 1,279 for men 42 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 17 Mobile internet use in India by gender, 2019–2020 Percentage of total adult population 2019 42% 21% 2020 45% 30% Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2019 and 2020 Base: Total population aged 18+ n= from 973 to 1,099 for women and n= from 1,153 to 1,279 for men 43 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Evidence from our quantitative and qualitative research suggests that the key drivers of this rapid uptake of smartphones and mobile internet use among Indian women are further improvements in the affordability of internet-enabled handsets and data, and the additional justifications that COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, have provided to drive women online. Qualitative research with female mobile internet users in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, as well as expert interviews, highlighted four important life needs that have been driving smartphone uptake and mobile internet use among women over the last year: online education for children, video calls, access to income opportunities and increased demand on devices in the home for entertainment and other purposes. “[COVID-19] has been a multiplier of digital inclusion for women. What would have taken five years has taken place in one.” Digital Empowerment Foundation Affordability of handsets and data. The evidence suggests a continued decline in the cost of internetenabled handsets and data as a barrier to mobile internet adoption for men and women in India. For example, fewer male and female mobile users36 who had not used mobile internet reported affordability as a barrier in 2020 than the year before. More specifically, the proportion of female mobile users who reported handset cost as a top barrier to mobile internet adoption decreased by 14 percentage points compared to last year. Furthermore, of all survey countries, India has the highest relative level of mobile internet use given awareness levels. These findings are likely linked to a rapid decline in the cost of internetenabled handsets and data in recent years. This is a promising trend and one which appears to be having a disproportionate effect on women. It is worth noting that while the cheapest smartphone in India is 206 per cent of average monthly income, JioPhone, an LTE-enabled handset launched by Reliance Jio in partnership with KaiOS, is just 24 per cent.37 However, the qualitative research suggests that, for many women, the cost of an internet-enabled handset is still unaffordable even though the desire to own one appears to be growing. “It became a priority to buy a mobile phone, irrespective of whether people could afford it or not.” Digital Empowerment Foundation Children’s education. Long periods of school closures during the pandemic prompted many schools in India to move learning online, creating pressure for households to access internet-enabled devices. This presented a unique opportunity for women to negotiate ownership of an internet-enabled handset. Many women with children had greater access to internet-enabled devices for online education, and several pointed out that this was a socially acceptable justification for mobile internet use. “Now there is a good excuse, as children’s online classes are going on, so women have the excuse to buy a smartphone.” Female, 18–24, rural, Bihar In more liberal households, there was an indication that some gatekeeper attitudes about women’s smartphone ownership and mobile internet use had shifted during the pandemic, and that it was now more accepted that owning and using a mobile was necessary and useful for women. “Some men now recognise that women need smartphones.” Self Employed Women’s Association 44 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Video calls. The desire to connect with and ‘see’ family members became intense during COVID-19 travel restrictions, pushing women to seek their own internet-enabled handset. There was a substantial rise in video calls as a use case in 2020 for both male and female mobile owners, with stronger growth among women (Figure 18). Figure 18 Growth in weekly use of video calls in India by gender, 2018–2020 Percentage of mobile owners using video calls on mobile at least once a week 44% 34% 33% 34% 19% 16% Men Women 2018 2019 2020 Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2018, 2019 and 2020 Base: Mobile owners aged 18+ Respondents may have engaged in video calls on a phone other than their own. The video call use case was asked only of those who reported having ever used the internet on a mobile phone. n= from 655 to 693 for women and n= from 921 to 1,006 for men Work and income. Several women reported using YouTube to learn new skills, such as sewing and embroidery, to boost household income, especially in households where jobs had been lost due to lockdown measures. “My smartphone is useful now. I can use [mobile internet] for my embroidery work and my daughter can use it for her studies.” Female, 29–50, Tiruvallur Entertainment. Using mobile internet to watch videos, listen to music or play games was mentioned frequently. This included playing the game Ludo online with family. Mobile internet provided a way to ease the stresses of the pandemic and the monotony of life in lockdown. “I play songs on YouTube because of the tension of household things.” Female, 18–24, urban, Bihar Further research is needed to better understand the rapid growth of women’s access to mobile internet in India, and how this could be replicated in other countries. As the pandemic continues to take its toll in India, it remains to be seen whether these promising gains in women’s digital inclusion will be sustained. 45 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 46 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Recommendations In today’s world, the mobile gender gap is one of the most crucial global issues to address. Access to a mobile phone and mobile internet provides women with a range of opportunities to improve their lives, including information and services related to income generation, education, health, safety and personal well-being. These opportunities are even more critical as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and impacts health, livelihoods and economies around the world, disproportionately affecting women. Mobile technology is supporting women during the pandemic by enabling them to access COVID-19 information, stay connected to their families during lockdowns, continue their business activities where possible and access government and other support. Still, the women who are most likely to benefit from mobile connectivity are still the furthest away from accessing it. The mobile gender gap demands significant attention from all stakeholders to enable women and their families to reap the full benefits of connectivity during the pandemic and ensure that progress in reducing this gap is not reversed, particularly as economies suffer and mobile becomes less affordable. It is only with the concerted action and collaboration of different stakeholders that we can truly accelerate progress on this issue, including the mobile industry, development community and policymakers. This section includes recommendations for all stakeholders, as well as more specific recommendations for four types of organisation: mobile network operators (MNOs), internet companies, policymakers and regulators and the development community (Figure 19). The actions of these stakeholders will be most effective if they are grounded in an understanding of the country-level barriers that women face to owning and using a mobile phone. Action is also needed to address the structural barriers and inequalities underpinning the mobile gender gap, including disparities between men and women in income and education, and restrictive social norms. There are also more detailed recommendations on what MNOs and other stakeholders can do to reach more female customers in LMICs with mobile in the 2020 GSMA Connected Women report, “Reaching 50 Million Women with Mobile: A Practical Guide”.38 Recommendations for all stakeholders to close the mobile gender gap Ensure there is a focus on gender equality and reaching women at an organisational and policy level through senior leaders championing the issue and setting specific gender equity targets. Understand the mobile gender gap by improving the quality and availability of gender-disaggregated data, and understanding women’s needs and the barriers they face to mobile ownership and use. Explicitly address women’s needs, circumstances and challenges in the design and implementation of mobile-related products, services, interventions and policies. This includes addressing the barriers women face related to access, affordability, safety and security, knowledge and skills, and the availability of relevant content, products and services. Collaborate and partner with different stakeholders to address the mobile gender gap. Targeted intervention is needed from industry, policymakers, the development community and other stakeholders to ensure that women are no longer left behind. 47 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 19 Recommendations for closing the mobile gender gap in low- and middleincome countries, by stakeholder type and barrier addressed Barrier addressed by the action Affordability Mobile operators Support industry efforts to lower the cost of internetenabled mobile phones, especially smartphones. E.g. Partner to offer entry-level smartphones, or smart feature phones, to customers at a reduced cost. Internet companies Partner with MNOs to address handset affordability. E.g. Offer subsidies for low-cost smartphones to help trigger mobile internet adoption. Literacy and skills Relevance Safety and security Access 48 Design solutions to reduce the burden of the “one-off” cost of smartphones for consumers, making them more affordable. E.g. Provide microloans or instalment repayment plans with third parties. Consider how to adapt products and services to make them more affordable without compromising on quality. E.g. Make “data-light” versions of apps or lightweight operating systems to help reduce the cost for more pricesensitive users. Develop clear and transparent pricing for credit and data, and introduce more creative pricing to appeal to pricesensitive customers. E.g. Encourage low-cost or free trial of mobile internet services through promotional deals, or extend the length of data packages. Ensure mobile apps and operating systems are user friendly for those who are less confident and literate. E.g. Have clear user menus with fewer steps, simplified content, simple terminology and a shorter sign-up process. Use icons/symbols/pictures/videos and comic-style stories in addition to (or instead of) text. Improve customers’ digital skills, including providing assistance to new users who may need additional support, and paying attention to women’s needs, interests and circumstances. E.g. Train and incentivise mobile agents to provide digital skills training and support to customers, such as using the GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit.39 Develop and incorporate tools to improve the usability of digital services for those with low literacy levels or who only speak their local language. E.g. Integrate voice search or text-to-speech. Ensure marketing and services are accessible for those with lower levels of literacy, digital skills and awareness and understanding of the internet. E.g. Offer content and advertising in local languages, use simple messaging, avoid technical jargon and consider the use of pictures, icons and videos. Understand and incorporate the content, features, channels and services that women in your market find useful and relevant. E.g. Make relevant local-language video content more available and accessible. Communicate the relevance of mobile ownership and mobile internet use in women’s daily lives. E.g. Showcase relatable use cases in marketing targeted at women and/or ensure that women are featured in more broadcast advertising campaigns as active users of the service. Help women to navigate the internet confidently and safely and to feel secure and in control when using internet apps and services. E.g. Provide training in avoiding and responding to negative behaviours and threats, and develop tools that allow users to easily and transparently control their privacy and security settings and manage data use. Develop applications and services that can help increase safety for women. E.g. Develop “safety” services like apps to help women alert contacts in an emergency or call-blocking services. Develop apps, services and other measures to help women feel safer online. E.g. Make it easy and safe for customers to report online abuse and collaborate with relevant government agencies to ensure these reports are responded to quickly and effectively. Consider the role of gatekeepers in facilitating women’s mobile ownership and use. E.g. Demonstrate through marketing the value of women having access to mobiles and mobile internet. Make mobile internet more accessible by providing internet services and operating systems in local languages. Ensure agent networks are accessible for women. E.g. Ensure locations and operating hours are accessible for women, and consider recruiting female agents in settings where the roles of men and women are very different and women feel more comfortable interacting with other women. GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Policymakers and regulators40 Development community In markets where they exist, review the impact of Universal Service Funds (USFs) on the affordability of mobile and mobile internet services for women. When administered ineffectively, USFs can be counterproductive in that, by effectively taxing customers, they actually serve to raise the affordability barrier.41 The funds should be targeted, time-bound and managed transparently. They should be allocated in a competitive and technically neutral way, in consultation with the industry, with a view to target projects with the highest possible impact. Where appropriate, this could include projects focusing on the adoption of mobile and mobile internet among women. Partner with and support the mobile ecosystem on projects that promote handset affordability. E.g. Handset financing schemes provided through local NGO networks and grassroots networks led by women, such as women’s savings groups. Review sector-specific taxes and fees that may exacerbate the cost barrier to mobile ownership and use and reduce investment, and that have a disproportionate impact on women. These include taxes on airtime, devices and social media usage. Implement and support initiatives to help reduce the price of devices and services for consumers. E.g. Support financial institutions and local savings groups to provide risk capital for handset loans for women at lower interest rates, subsidise handsets for marginalised populations in partnership with the private sector and enable innovative data pricing strategies to help providers reach more women. Invest in public education and digital literacy initiatives that increase women’s and girls’ mobile digital literacy and confidence, including for women and girls of all ages, levels of education, income and familiarity with mobile and the internet. E.g. Mainstream mobile and digital skills in school curricula. Ensure online government services are developed considering the needs and capabilities of individuals with lower levels of literacy and digital skills. E.g. Provide an IVR help line, use simple terminology, local languages, icons/symbols/ pictures/videos and comic-style stories in addition to (or instead of) text. Collaborate with the private sector and the development community to support digital literacy training for women, including those that are community-led and peer-driven. Fund and/or facilitate mobile-based digital literacy training for women. E.g. Use trusted local community and peer networks to deliver digital skills training to women, potentially in partnership with an MNO. Work to address the negative influence of social norms. This includes those that restrict women’s access to mobile technology by challenging misconceptions and demonstrating the positive and relevant use cases of mobile. Raise awareness of the threats preventing women from accessing and using the internet and how they can be addressed. E.g. Awareness campaigns, digital literacy programmes and formal education programmes/curriculum. Develop and support initiatives to increase women’s access to and use of mobile and mobile internet. Also consider how mainstream projects and interventions can be adapted to advance digital inclusion for women. Encourage the development of an ecosystem of apps and services that meet the needs, preferences and capabilities of women and girls. Make public services available online to demonstrate the value and relevance of the internet to women and their families, as well as support more efficient delivery of government services. Increase awareness of the threats preventing women and girls from accessing and using the internet and how they can be addressed or reduced. E.g. Awareness campaigns, digital literacy programmes and formal education programmes/curriculum (targeting both men and women). Review existing legal and policy frameworks to ensure they recognise digital harassment and make it easy and safe to report online abuse. Raise awareness of the barriers to women’s mobile ownership and use, and advocate for stakeholders to take action to address the mobile gender gap. Build institutional capacity and mechanisms to monitor, investigate and prosecute reports of online abuse. 49 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 50 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Appendix 1: Barriers to mobile internet use In each of the eight survey countries, mobile users who were aware of mobile internet but had not used it were asked to identify the barriers preventing them from using the internet on a mobile phone. Strongly related or thematically overlapping barriers were grouped into composites that were used to calculate country-level rankings of barriers.42 Respondents selected barriers from a pre-defined list during a face-to-face quantitative survey. The results may not fully reflect the importance of subtle, underlying structural impediments, particularly those grounded in social norms that disproportionately affect women and might not be reported directly by respondents, such as the perceived inappropriateness of spending money on mobile services for themselves. Respondents were first asked to identify all relevant barriers, then to identify those that were most important (Figure 21) and, finally, to identify the single most important barrier (Figure 20). 51 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 20 Top barrier to mobile internet use Percentage of mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it, and who identified the following as the single most important barrier to using mobile internet AFFORDABILITY HANDSET COST DATA COST LITERACY AND SKILLS RELEVANCE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ACCESS INTERNET ON A MOBILE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A MOBILE READING/ WRITING DIFFICULTIES DO NOT HAVE TIME TO LEARN HOW TO ACCESS INTERNET ON A MOBILE NOT SUFFICIENT SUPPORT IN LEARNING TO USE MOBILE INTERNET INTERNET IS NOT RELEVANT FOR ME M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W Algeria 9% 14% 2% 1% 3% 2% 5% 4% 13% 32% 14% 7% 4% 0% 12% 9% Kenya 42% 39% 2% 3% 8% 9% 0% 0% 7% 6% 7% 9% 4% 1% 12% 10% AFRICA Mozambique 24% 32% 6% 3% 12% 12% 1% 0% 9% 14% 7% 8% 3% 6% 2% 0% Nigeria 42% 42% 2% 5% 5% 8% 1% 1% 17% 19% 4% 3% 1% 2% 10% 8% Bangladesh 9% 11% 1% 1% 12% 13% 1% 3% 18% 14% 7% 6% 3% 1% 20% 20% ASIA India 21% 12% 9% 5% 5% 11% 2% 5% 13% 16% 8% 11% 6% 3% 2% 5% Pakistan 15% 7% 3% 5% 1% 1% 6% 3% 36% 27% 5% 5% 4% 2% 14% 10% LATIN AMERICA Guatemala 10% 19% 6% 5% 7% 5% 0% 3% 7% 11% 13% 7% 5% 3% 3% 3% RELEVANCE SAFETY AND SECURITY ACCESS INSUFFICIENT CONTENT IN LOCAL LANGUAGE HARMFUL CONTENT (SELF/FAMILY) STRANGERS CONTACTING ME INFORMATION SECURITY INTERNET DRAINS MY BATTERY NETWORK COVERAGE FAMILY DOES NOT APPROVE ACCESS TO AGENT SUPPORT SLOW CONNECTION/ CANNOT DO WHAT I WANT NO ACCESS TO INTERNET ENABLED PHONE M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W 2% 0% 6% 6% 0% 1% 5% 4% 1% 1% 7% 3% 3% 14% 0% 0% 9% 1% 0% 1% 0% 1% 3% 3% 3% 7% 3% 2% 1% 1% 2% 3% 0% 2% 1% 0% 1% 0% 4% 3% 4% 4% 2% 3% 2% 5% 5% 1% 3% 0% 11% 5% 0% 1% 3% 1% 2% 3% 0% 3% 0% 1% 2% 0% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 3% 1% 1% 2% 1% 1% 2% 1% 2% 0% 8% 4% 4% 2% 1% 2% 1% 2% 1% 1% 5% 0% 4% 16% 0% 1% 4% 1% 0% 1% 3% 3% 3% 1% 1% 1% 6% 4% 6% 2% 1% 5% 2% 4% 0% 2% 7% 4% 2% 1% 5% 5% 2% 5% 0% 3% 2% 3% 0% 1% 3% 2% 1% 20% 0% 0% 2% 0% 2% 1% 0% 0% 13% 9% 6% 11% 15% 18% 5% 2% 0% 0% 2% 0% 3% 0% 5% 0% 1% 3% Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Adults aged 18+ who have used a mobile phone in the last three months but have not used mobile internet in the last three months, despite being aware of mobile internet (excludes mobile users who are not aware of mobile internet). Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who answered, “This is the most important reason stopping me” to the question, “Which one of those factors would you say is the single most important reason stopping you from using the internet on a mobile phone?” n = from 65 to 197 for women and n = from 63 to 131 for men M W Men Women Lowest barrier cited in that country Highest barrier cited in that country 52 53 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Figure 21 Important barriers to mobile internet use Percentage of mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it, and who identified the following as a main barrier to using mobile internet AFFORDABILITY HANDSET COST DATA COST LITERACY AND SKILLS RELEVANCE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ACCESS INTERNET ON A MOBILE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A MOBILE READING/ WRITING DIFFICULTIES DO NOT HAVE TIME TO LEARN HOW TO ACCESS INTERNET ON A MOBILE NOT SUFFICIENT SUPPORT IN LEARNING TO USE MOBILE INTERNET INTERNET IS NOT RELEVANT FOR ME M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W Algeria 15% 19% 9% 18% 7% 10% 15% 14% 20% 36% 30% 21% 8% 8% 19% 17% AFRICA Kenya 50% 46% 12% 9% 19% 17% 3% Mozambique 37% 38% 22% 18% 29% 27% 9% 4% 11% 10% 17% 18% 8% 8% 17% 17% 8% 18% 22% 19% 19% 15% 14% 8% 9% Nigeria 44% 50% 20% 17% 18% 17% 3% 7% 26% 34% 13% 11% 2% 5% 21% 14% Bangladesh 27% 24% 11% 9% 26% 32% 11% 11% 31% 22% 19% 24% 23% 16% 38% 36% ASIA India 30% 24% 27% 22% 9% 20% 11% 15% 20% 24% 18% 24% 16% 12% 11% 13% Pakistan 27% 17% 21% 11% 8% 9% 14% 14% 44% 36% 20% 16% 13% 6% 26% 22% LATIN AMERICA Guatemala 27% 43% 26% 30% 16% 12% 8% 12% 10% 26% 22% 17% 8% 10% 10% 11% RELEVANCE SAFETY AND SECURITY ACCESS INSUFFICIENT CONTENT IN LOCAL LANGUAGE HARMFUL CONTENT (SELF/FAMILY) STRANGERS CONTACTING ME INFORMATION SECURITY INTERNET DRAINS MY BATTERY NETWORK COVERAGE FAMILY DOES NOT APPROVE ACCESS TO AGENT SUPPORT SLOW CONNECTION/ CANNOT DO WHAT I WANT NO ACCESS TO INTERNET ENABLED PHONE M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W M W 8% 7% 14% 17% 8% 9% 10% 11% 5% 9% 12% 5% 7% 21% 3% 5% 12% 5% 4% 14% 5% 6% 9% 8% 8% 12% 11% 7% 6% 5% 6% 9% 0% 5% 1% 2% 5% 4% 11% 8% 6% 10% 12% 9% 7% 9% 16% 6% 10% 7% 22% 9% 1% 5% 14% 10% 15% 5% 13% 14% 3% 5% 4% 1% 6% 5% 5% 2% 4% 2% 3% 2% 1% 5% 1% 2% 2% 3% 8% 7% 11% 7% 8% 8% 5% 10% 3% 6% 4% 7% 15% 12% 5% 20% 2% 3% 8% 6% 10% 12% 12% 9% 9% 10% 7% 10% 11% 10% 13% 11% 7% 11% 5% 11% 7% 5% 13% 15% 7% 12% 16% 11% 7% 10% 5% 10% 9% 9% 4% 3% 9% 6% 6% 27% 1% 3% 4% 4% 7% 6% 6% 3% 32% 37% 22% 36% 35% 38% 17% 16% 6% 7% 6% 6% 7% 6% 13% 3% 13% 19% Source: GSMA Consumer Survey, 2020 Base: Adults aged 18+ who have used a mobile phone in the last three months but have not used mobile internet in the last three months, despite being aware of mobile internet (excludes mobile users who are not aware of mobile internet). Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who answered, “This is one of the most important reasons stopping me” to the question, “Which, if any, of those factors would you say are the most important reasons stopping you from using the internet on a mobile phone?” n = from 67 to 199 for women and n = from 64 to 134 for men M W Men Women Lowest barrier cited in that country Highest barrier cited in that country 54 55 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Appendix 2: Mobile use cases Figure 22 Weekly mobile use among mobile owners Percentage of mobile owners who have performed each use case at least once a week NETWORK CALLS ONLINE CALLS VIDEO CALLS SMS/MMS INSTANT SOCIAL MESSAGING NETWORKING FREE GAMES FREE VIDEO FREE MUSIC Algeria AFRICA Kenya Mozambique Nigeria Bangladesh ASIA India Pakistan LATIN AMERICA Guatemala M 80% 64% 56% 73% 66% 65% 33% 59% 35% W 79% 58% 54% 70% 60% 61% 25% 54% 31% M 93% 29% 24% 88% 50% 50% 36% 41% 27% W 90% 17% 11% 85% 32% 32% 30% 21% 16% M 87% 34% 31% 90% 34% 32% 33% 19% 19% W 82% 24% 23% 81% 26% 24% 18% 15% 17% M 86% 41% 35% 93% 55% 54% 42% 26% 22% W 87% 31% 26% 90% 39% 40% 32% 21% 14% M 88% 35% 35% 54% 34% 35% 34% 29% 15% W 86% 26% 26% 49% 24% 26% 20% 20% 9% M 70% 45% 44% 56% 45% 43% 37% 46% 36% W 68% 32% 34% 46% 32% 28% 28% 34% 26% M 88% 32% 29% 57% 32% 29% 20% 24% 11% W 86% 24% 23% 56% 23% 17% 20% 18% 10% M 88% 59% 52% 67% 68% 65% 38% 51% 35% W 86% 57% 45% 62% 60% 58% 22% 41% 26% PAID ENTERTAIN- MENT GET INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS/ SERVICES ORDER GOODS/ SERVICES ONLINE BANKING SERVICE/ APP MANAGE BILLS ACCESS HEALTH SERVICES/ INFORMATION ACCESS GOVERNMENT SERVICES LOOK/ APPLY FOR JOBS ACCESS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT ACCESS AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION READ NEWS USE MAPS/ TRAFFIC INFORMATION RIDE HAILING/ TAXIS 29% 26% 16% 11% 13% 24% 15% 17% 20% 13% 42% 28% 10% 23% 20% 14% 10% 10% 25% 8% 16% 31% 8% 41% 26% 7% 14% 22% 5% 8% 18% 12% 6% 10% 20% 14% 39% 12% 4% 10% 10% 2% 3% 12% 9% 4% 3% 15% 7% 14% 4% 3% 17% 12% 7% 12% 22% 12% 11% 14% 15% 13% 25% 14% 6% 11% 9% 7% 10% 15% 11% 10% 10% 16% 10% 19% 11% 5% 12% 18% 8% 18% 9% 10% 8% 9% 18% 9% 43% 12% 7% 8% 15% 5% 12% 8% 6% 5% 6% 15% 5% 28% 9% 3% 15% 7% 4% 6% 7% 6% 7% 7% 9% 4% 14% 11% 4% 11% 2% 3% 2% 2% 4% 4% 2% 5% 2% 7% 4% 1% 32% 22% 15% 17% 16% 19% 16% 17% 26% 18% 34% 20% 13% 25% 13% 10% 10% 10% 15% 12% 13% 21% 12% 22% 14% 10% 10% 6% 3% 3% 5% 4% 4% 4% 5% 4% 12% 6% 3% 10% 4% 4% 3% 2% 5% 4% 3% 8% 3% 7% 3% 3% 21% 25% 11% 12% 6% 16% 13% 13% 42% 9% 55% 28% 8% 15% 18% 6% 6% 4% 12% 8% 9% 40% 3% 46% 14% 7% Source: GSMA Consumer Survey 2020 Base: Mobile owners aged 18+ Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who answered that they perform each use case at least once a day or at least once a week. Mobile internet use cases were only asked of mobile owners that have used the internet before. However, the percentages still represent the proportion of mobile owners overall who use that mobile internet use case. n= from 98 to 655 for women and n= from 155 to 921 for men M W Men Women Least reported weekly use case in that country Most reported weekly use case in that country 56 57 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 58 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Appendix 3: Methodology This report is based on an analysis of the results of face-to-face surveys conducted by the GSMA in eight LMICs in 2020. This is supplemented by 2017, 2018 and 2019 GSMA survey results from 20 additional countries,43 as well as third-party survey results that cover another 10 countries.44 Survey methodology In all countries surveyed in 2020, a nationally representative sample of approximately 1,000 male and female adults aged 18 and over were surveyed, with the exception of India where the sample was approximately 2,000. The sampling frame was predominantly based on data from national statistics offices, including census data where possible, and a range of other sources. To ensure geographically representative distribution of interview subjects, particularly in urban and rural areas, around 100 sampling points were used per country. However, very remote areas or areas with security concerns were excluded. Interviews were conducted with individuals in the local language and typically on the doorstep of the home due to COVID-19 safety precautions. All surveys were interviewer-administered using handheld devices. Both female and male interviewers conducted the surveys. Data was weighted to known population profiles to correct any imbalances in the distributions achieved during fieldwork. Extrapolating the mobile gender gap to non-surveyed countries To estimate the gender gaps in mobile ownership, smartphone ownership and mobile internet use across all LMICs, an extrapolation model was developed. The 28 countries included in the GSMA Intelligence Consumer Surveys represent 78 per cent of the total adult population of all LMICs.45 Data from the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Consumer Survey countries served as the primary inputs for the model.46 Third-party and publicly available survey data was used when it was considered robust, which provided gender gap measures for mobile ownership and internet use for an additional 10 countries and smartphone ownership for an additional two countries.47 All country-level figures cited in this study were derived directly from GSMA Intelligence face-toface survey results. Regression analysis identified the independent variables that were key to predicting each mobile gender gap. An equation was generated for each gender gap to estimate the gender gap in LMICs not included in the survey. Each equation was tested using several different measures of model fit and accuracy (including adjusted R-squared, RMSE, MAE, AIC/BIC, as well as out-ofsample testing). The selected models demonstrated the highest level of fit when comparing predicted results with the actual results derived from the survey. The top section of Table 2 outlines the final predictors and corresponding coefficients used in the final equations. The bottom section outlines the performance of each model against statistical diagnostics. The preferred models for mobile ownership, mobile internet use and smartphone ownership are consistent with The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020. However, raw survey inputs have been updated to account for new data released in 202048 and, as a result, some modelled data points have been revised. For example, the modelled mobile internet gender gap in Middle East and North Africa for 2019 was estimated to be 21 per cent in The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020. However, with updated survey trends, the modelled estimate for 2019 has been revised to 19 per cent. 59 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Table 2 Final predictor variables used in extrapolation models Predictor variables for mobile gender gap model Predictor variables for mobile internet gender gap model Predictor variables for smartphone gender gap model Composite “income education” indicator capturing GNI per capita and mean years of schooling for women (Source: UNDP) GDP per capita (Source: IMF) GDP per capita (Source: IMF) Mobile phone ownership among adult women (Source: Gallup World Poll) Facebook Gender Gap (Source: Facebook Audience Insights) Facebook Gender Gap (Source: Facebook Audience Insights) South Asia “dummy” variable49 South Asia “dummy” variable South Asia “dummy” variable Mean years of schooling for women (Source: UNDP) Mean years of schooling for women (Source: UNDP) Qualitative interviews To support the findings of the quantitative GSMA Consumer Survey 2020 implemented in partnership with Ipsos, qualitative field research and analysis were carried out in India and Kenya in March 2021 by Basis. The research aimed to provide further context around the impact of COVID-19 on mobile internet use and smartphone ownership among women in both countries. The fieldwork consisted of a total of 12 rural and seven urban end user interviews, 16 of which were with smartphone owners and three with feature phone owners who used mobile internet in each market (Table 3). Five expert interviews were also conducted in Kenya and seven in India (Table 4). All interviews were conducted remotely via video call. Table 3 Demographics of end users India* Number of urban female respondents 7 Number of rural female respondents 12 Number of urban male respondents 0 Number of rural male respondents 0 Total number of respondents 19 Table 4 Expert interviews India BBC Media Action India Centre for Entrepreneurship Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) Microsave Purple Audacity Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) World Vision India 60 Kenya 5 7 2 5 19 * In India, the focus was on obtaining additional feedback from women on specific research questions arising from the Consumer Survey, whereas in Kenya the Consumer Survey highlighted specific research questions for both men and for women for which there would be particular value in obtaining additional feedback. Kenya Asphalt & Ink Branding Beyond Borders Busara Quality Control Afrika (QCA) World Vision International GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 61 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 Endnotes 1. G SMA Intelligence, Q1 2021 2. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates for 2019. 3. G SMA Intelligence, 2020 4. GSMA. (2020). The Digital Exclusion of Women with Disabilities. 5. Butler, C. and Shanahan, M. (27 August 2020). “Does just being a woman reduce the likelihood of using mobile?”, GSMA Mobile for Development Blog. 6. L indsey, D. (20 April 2020). “Why COVID-19 has increased the urgency to reach women with mobile technology”, GSMA Mobile for Development Blog. 7. U N Women. (2020). From insights to action: Gender equality in the wake of COVID-19. 8. GSMA Connected Women. (2020). The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020. 9. Fieldwork had been planned in an additional two countries, Myanmar and Mexico, but COVID-19 restrictions meant that it was not possible to conduct the research. 10. COVID-19 restrictions during this time varied across markets. Restrictions included but were not limited to: school and workplace closures; restrictions on gatherings; stay at home requirements; internal and external travel restrictions; and curfews. 11. U rban and rural men and women in Rift Valley and Nyanza (n=19) and five expert interviews. 12. Urban and rural women in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar (n=19) and seven expert interviews. 13. T hese figures are for Q4 2020 (GSMA Intelligence). By comparison, the figures for Q4 2019 were 83% and 54% respectively. 14. Note that this figure was 165 million women in The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020. 15. Respondents were asked the question: “Have you ever used the internet on a mobile phone? Please think about all the different ways of using the internet on a mobile phone. Just to confirm, people are using the internet on their mobile phones when they do any of the following: visit internet websites (e.g. Google or Amazon), visit social networking websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Weibo), send emails or instant messages (e.g. WhatsApp, Snapchat, WeChat, LINE) or download apps.” Mobile internet users are those who answered, “Yes, I have used the internet on a mobile phone in the last three months.” 16. GSMA Intelligence, 2020 17. GSMA Intelligence, 2020 18. The World Bank. (2020). COVID-19 and the Great Reverse Migration in South Asia. 19. GSMA. (2020). The Digital Exclusion of Women with Disabilities. 20. Defined as either those who have used the internet on a mobile phone before or those who are both aware of the internet and that it can be used on a mobile phone. 21. GSMA Intelligence, 2020 22. Algeria, Mozambique, Nigeria, India and Guatemala 23. GSMA Connected Women. (2020). The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020. 62 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 24. Important contributions to assessing digital skills in LMICs have been made from organisations including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ICT Research Africa, Global Mobile Digital Skills Alliance, Digital Skills Observatory and the Global Digital Literacy Framework (UNESCO, 2018). 25. A mobile user is defined as a person who has ever used a mobile phone. A mobile user does not have to personally own a mobile phone, and therefore can be a non-mobile phone owner who uses someone else’s mobile phone. 26. Mobile-related tasks in the survey were: setting a password or PIN for a mobile phone; inserting a SIM card into a mobile phone; looking for information by typing a word or phrase into a search bar or app on a mobile phone; setting up a mobile phone as a “hotspot” to share its internet connection; deleting files/apps to ensure there is sufficient memory/space on a mobile phone; changing app security/privacy permissions on a mobile phone from the default settings; changing settings on a mobile phone to set a limit on data usage; creating a photo/video on a mobile phone to share with several people at the same time; and editing media, such as photos/videos/documents or other files on a mobile phone. These tasks were selected to provide a range of activities of varying levels of difficulty and aimed to be agnostic in terms of personal interests and demographics. 27. Guatemala was excluded. 28. A handset owner differs from a mobile user. A mobile user is a broader category, defined as a person who has ever used a mobile (their own or someone else’s), whereas a handset owner has sole or main use of a mobile handset. 29. Only includes typing information into a search bar and not other methods, such as speech-to-text. 30. The World Bank. (2017). The Global Findex Database 2017. 31. The World Bank. (2017). The Global Findex Database 2017. 32. D elaporte, A. and Naghavi, N. (21 October 2019). “The promise of mobile money for further advancing women’s financial inclusion”, GSMA Mobile for Development Blog. 33. Excludes Algeria since the survey was not conducted there. 34. These questions were only asked of mobile money account owners who had heard of COVID-19. 35. All except Pakistan. Guatemala was excluded due to sample sizes below 30. 36. E xcludes mobile users who are not already aware of mobile internet. 37. A lliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). (2020). From luxury to lifeline: Reducing the cost of mobile devices to reach universal internet access. 38. G SMA Connected Women. (2020). “Top 10 recommendations for reaching women with mobile across low- and middle-income countries”, Reaching 50 Million Women with Mobile : A Practical Guide. 39. GSMA Connected Society. (2020). Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT). 40. More detailed recommendations on how policymakers can increase mobile adoption among the undeserved can be found in the GSMA report, Accelerating mobile internet adoption: Policy considerations to bridge the digital divide in low- and middle-income countries. 41. For more details, see the Business Environment section of the GSMA Mobile Policy Handbook. 42. These composite barriers are aggregates (not averages) of responses for between two and five sub-barriers. Access-related barriers are not grouped as a composite as they cover a disparate range of topics. ‘All countries’ barriers (top of Table 1) were calculated by averaging country-level data for the eight countries surveyed. 43. Seven countries were surveyed by the GSMA in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020: Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Guatemala. One country was surveyed by the GSMA in 2018, 2019 and 2020: Mozambique. Five countries were surveyed by the GSMA in 2017, 2018 and 2019: Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Myanmar and South Africa. Four countries were surveyed by the GSMA in 2017 and 2018: Argentina, Dominican Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania. Eight countries were surveyed by the GSMA only in 2017: Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Nicaragua, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. However, since Chile is now defined as a high-income country, it is not included in this analysis. Two countries were surveyed by the GSMA in 2019: Senegal and Uganda. Fieldwork was carried out in September, October, November, December and January of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. 44. These external sources include the Pew Research Center, After Access, the ITU, the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (HSE) and China Internet Network Information Center. 45. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2021). World Population Prospects 2019. 46. Where 2017, 2018 or 2019 data was the primary input for a country, year-on-year change between 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 was modelled based on changes in the values of the predictor variables between the three years. 47. Data was sourced from After Access (Cambodia, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda), Pew Global Attitudes and Trends (Jordan, Lebanon and Philippines), ITU (Iran), RLMS-HES (Russia) and CNNIC (China). To calculate gender gap estimates in these countries, we applied the growth rate implied from our extrapolation model to the years where actual data was available. 48. Raw inputs for each year are updated with the most up-to-date data releases. Sometimes the year the data was recorded lags behind the release date, for example, the 2020 Gallup World Poll and the 2020 UNDP updates include data for 2019. This means that, in particular, the data available to update the 2020 gender gaps in mobile ownership in non-surveyed countries may not capture the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, based on the surveyed countries, only one country (Mozambique) had a significant increase in the mobile ownership gender gap in 2020, which suggests that, in many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic may not have increased the mobile gender gap. 49. This dummy variable takes a value of 1 if a country is in South Asia. It is included to capture the disproportionately large gender gap in South Asian countries. 63 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2021 64 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN – THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2018 www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap 65 For more information, visit www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap www.gsma.com GSMA HEAD OFFICE Floor 2 The Walbrook Building 25 Walbrook London EC4N 8AF United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7356 0600 Fax: +44 (0)20 7356 0601
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