GIVE HER THE PHONEMobile Communication Gender Roles &

in india

argumentour

Mobile phones can...

...change India’s gender structure

but…how?

(Given the fact that India is one of the most unequal country when it comes to gender)

really?Yes!

according to the un’s

gender inequality report (2012)

That is...a composite measure reflecting inequality in achievements between women and men in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market.

186 countries#1#136

norwayindia

FIRST, LET’S REMEMBER THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF PHONE!

social structures

1Emphasis on the community as

a whole

Rather than on individual members

2Men and women are place into designated

spheres that benefit the community as a whole

Scholars have long recognized that Indian women are disadvantaged by widely shared gender ideologies that restrict women’s movements outside the home and limit women’s interactions with their husbands within the home

women in disadvantage

LET’S UNDERSTAND THE INDIAN

GENDER STRUCTURERestrictions

+Housework

+Honor

Male dominance

Work outside + Advantages

Men are aware of the advantages and act to maintain them

Women are expected to behave in a way that emphasizes: modesty, obedience, self-sacrifice and attachment to the home

factors that make women less likely

to own a phone

Income and occupation

Developing level of the region

Age

Educational Level

23%

37%

africa

south asia

can mobile phones transform social structures?

Social objectTechnological object

What Exactly is empowerment?

...And can mobile phones really make it possible?

Empowerment is the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes.”

- The World Bank

“

With mobile phones, women can ACHIEVE…Balance

Organization

Community

Knowledge

Mobile phones used as teaching tools

Audio messages

Hotlines

Kencall’s Kenya Farmers Helpline

SMS messages

Health care and farming advice

Commonwealth of Learning study in Southern India

Mobile phones help women business owners

Important distance education toolFear of school Family duties

In my family and neighbourhood, some men do not know how to use a mobile phone.They see me using the phone, listening to voicemails … Mobile phones have become a symbolic representation of our transition from dependency on males to self-dependency.

-- Sudha

Provided women with independence Changed typical mobile phone usage

Commonwealth of Learning study in Southern India

drawbacksPoverty

Lack of income

1

2

If I have 100 rupees, I can think of hundred more important things to do than recharge my mobile phone.”“

3Apprehension that it could

trigger conflict and tensions

We come back to the gender structure issue and male dominance in India

Women are restricted to housework

Making Data Tangible

What challenges affect rural indian women’s ability to use mobile phones for everyday purposes?

...and how can we address them?

We Recommend… Manufacturers and carriers should increase marketing directed towards women.

Simpler devices require less tech training, and are more appealing to rural consumers.

Learning groups may help reduce intimidation and teach women to use mobile phones.