1. GIVE HER THE PHONE
Mobile Communication
& Gender Roles
in india

2. Mobile phones can...
our
argument
...change India’s gender structure

3. but…
how?
really?
Yes!
(Given the fact that India is one of the most
unequal country when it comes to gender)

4. 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 norway
#136 india

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

6. 1
Emphasis on the
community as
a whole
Rather than on
individual members
women in disadvantage
social
structures
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
2
Men and women are place into designated
spheres that benefit the community as a whole

7. Work outside + Advantages
Male dominance
Men are aware of the advantages
and act to maintain them
Restrictions
+
Housework
+
Honor
LET’S UNDERSTAND
THE INDIAN
GENDER STRUCTURE
Women are expected to behave in a way that
emphasizes: modesty, obedience, self-sacrifice and
attachment to the home

8. factors that make
women less likely
to own a phone
23%
africa
Income and occupation
37%
Developing level of the region
Educational Level
Age
south asia

9. can mobile phones transform social structures?
Technological object
Social object

10. What Exactly is empowerment?
is the
increasing
capacity
“ Empowermentgroups process ofchoices and thetransform of
individuals or
to make
to
those choices into desired actions and outcomes.”
- The World Bank
...And can mobile phones really make it possible?

11. With mobile phones, women can ACHIEVE…
Balance
Community
Organization
Knowledge

12. Mobile phones used as teaching tools
Audio messages
Hotlines
Kencall’s Kenya Farmers Helpline
SMS messages
Health care and farming advice

13. Commonwealth of Learning
study in Southern India
Mobile phones help women
business owners
Important distance education tool
Fear of school
Family duties

14. Commonwealth of Learning
study in Southern India
Provided women with
independence
Changed typical mobile
phone usage
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

15. 1
“
If I have 100 rupees, I can think of hundred
more important things to do than recharge
my mobile phone.”
Poverty
drawbacks
3
Apprehension
that it could
trigger conflict
and tensions
2
Lack of income
Women are restricted
to housework
We come back to the
gender structure issue and
male dominance in India

16. What challenges affect rural
indian women’s ability to use
mobile phones for everyday
purposes?
...and how can we address them?
Making Data Tangible

17. 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.