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1、The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Copyright 2023 GSMAThe GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover,develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change.Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people,indu
2、stry,and society thrive.Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries,the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars:Connectivity for Good,Industry Services and Solutions,and Outreach.This activity includes advancing policy,tackling
3、 todays biggest societal challenges,underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work,and providing the worlds largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.We invite you to find out more at Follow the GSMA on Twitter:GSMAAt Ipsos we are p
4、assionately 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 abili
5、ty to conduct research programmes in more than 100 countries.Founded in France in 1975,Ipsos is controlled and managed by research 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.GSMA IntelligenceGSMA Inte
6、lligence 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
7、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
8、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 thought-leading research reports across a range of industry This material has been funded by UK Aid from the UK Government;however,the views ex
9、pressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Governments 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
10、.GSMA Connected WomenThe GSMAs 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
11、 significant commercial opportunities for the mobile industry and socio-economic benefits for women.For more information,please visit and contributorsLead author:Nadia JeffrieContributors:Kalvin Bahia,Isabelle Carboni,Dominica Lindsey,Claire Sibthorpe,Jakub ZagdanskiFieldwork partner:Ipsos Published
12、:May 2023 3The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023 3The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023 ContentsIntroduction 4Key findings 6Infographic 8Definitions 11The mobile gender gap in 2023 12The journey to mobile internet use 18The gender gap in mobile ownership 22Understanding the barriers to mobile ownership 24Th
13、e gender gap in smartphone ownership 26The gender gap in mobile internet use 32Understanding barriers to mobile internet adoption 38Understanding womens mobile use 46Recommendations 50Appendix 1:Barriers to mobile ownership and mobile internet adoption 54Appendix 2:Mobile use cases 64Appendix 3:Meth
14、odology 66Endnotes 694The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20231.GSMA Intelligence,Q4 2022.2.International Telecommunication Union(ITU)estimates for 2022.3.GSMA Intelligence,2019.4.This estimate is based on closing the gender gap in mobile ownership and use in LMICs from 2023 to 2030.4The Mobile Gender Gap
15、Report 2023IntroductionIn an increasingly connected world,it is critical that no one is left behind.In low-and middle-income countries(LMICs),mobile phones are the primary and often only way people get online,especially women.More than 3.4 billion people in LMICs now access the internet on a mobile
16、phone,1 accounting for 85%of broadband connections in 2022.2 In all 12 countries surveyed for this report,female internet users were more likely than male users to access the internet exclusively via a mobile phone.A total of 61%of women in LMICs now use mobile internet and 81%own a mobile phone.Whi
17、le more people are using mobile internet than ever before,access is unequal and there are significant gender gaps.Women are still less likely than men to own a mobile phone and use key services,such as mobile internet and mobile money.This is particularly true for women in LMICs who are the most und
18、erserved,including those with low literacy,low incomes,who live in a rural area or have a disability.Alarmingly,for the second year in a row,womens digital inclusion has slowed across LMICs.In last years report,we highlighted that the mobile internet gender gap did not narrow and,in some countries,w
19、idened.This was the first time this had happened since the GSMA began tracking it,and was the result of women across LMICs adopting mobile internet at a slower rate,in contrast with continued higher growth rates for men in 2022.Our latest data shows that while more women are using mobile internet th
20、an ever before,their rate of adoption has slowed even more than last year.Mens rate of adoption has now also slowed.Slower rates of adoption have stalled progress on digital inclusion for all in LMICs,leaving a substantial and relatively unchanged gender gap in mobile internet.More efforts are neede
21、d to tackle this slowdown in digital inclusion and the digital gender gap.Addressing the mobile gender gap provides significant social and commercial benefits.Mobile and mobile internet can be life changing,providing access to critical information,services and opportunities from anywhere,including t
22、hose related to health care,education,financial services and income generation.Connectivity is also vital to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),including those related to gender equality,health,education and financial inclusion.GSMA research has found that closing the g
23、ender gap in mobile internet use in LMICs could deliver an additional$700 billion in GDP growth over five years.3 In 2020 alone,the Alliance for Affordable Internet(A4AI)estimated that the gender gap in internet use resulted in 32 LMICs missing out on$126 billion in GDP.The commercial opportunity fo
24、r the private sector is also substantial.For example,the GSMA estimates that closing the gender gap in mobile ownership and use in LMICs by 2030 would generate$230 billion in additional revenue for the mobile industry.4 5The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20235.The exception was 46%of female mobile phone
25、owners in Pakistan who reported that a mobile provides access to useful information they would not otherwise be able to obtain easily.In contrast,this was reported by 66%of male mobile phone owners in Pakistan.6.Except for Ethiopia,where no interviews were conducted in the Tigray region and six othe
26、r zones due to local conflict and security concerns.These areas represent 12%of the population of Ethiopia,therefore,the sample was representative of the 88%of the population who live outside these areas.5The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Enabling women to access and use mobile phones is crucial.It c
27、an also help women across LMICs better cope with the ongoing economic and social disruptions brought about by the pandemic,climate change and other global crises.For those who own a mobile phone,the benefits are clear to them.In nine of the 10 countries surveyed by the GSMA in 2021,between 66%and 97
28、%of female and male mobile owners reported that having a mobile phone helps with their day-to-day activities,makes them feel safer and gives them access to useful information they would not otherwise be able to easily obtain.5 In this sixth edition of The Mobile Gender Gap Report,we consider the lat
29、est data on womens mobile access and use and how it is changing at regional and country levels in LMICs.We draw attention to this important issue and share recommended actions for stakeholders,including mobile network operators(MNOs),internet companies,policymakers and regulators,and the development
30、 community.The findings of this report draw on the annual GSMA Consumer Survey,which this year had more than 13,800 respondents from 12 LMICs,and for the first time included Ethiopia.These face-to-face,nationally representative6 surveys were conducted between September and December 2022.Analysis of
31、other research and data from the GSMA,as well as other organisations that investigate and track the mobile gender gap,also inform the findings of this report.The report provides:The latest figures and trends on gender gaps in mobile ownership,smartphone ownership and mobile internet in LMICs A revie
32、w of the barriers to mobile ownership and mobile internet adoptionNew data on mens and womens perceptions of the impact of mobile internet on their lives 6The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20236The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Key findings1.More women in low-and middle-income countries are using mobile i
33、nternet than ever before,but their rate of adoption has slowed for the second year in a row.While 61%of women across these countries now use mobile internet,only 60 million women started using mobile internet in 2022 compared to 75 million in 2021.Mens rate of adoption also slowed in 2022,highlighti
34、ng that progress on digital inclusion for all has stalled across low-and middle-income countries.2.The gender gap in mobile internet remains relatively unchanged women in low-and middle-income countries are 19%less likely than men to use it,which translates into around 310 million fewer women than m
35、en.This year there have been no significant changes in the mobile internet gender gap in any region,including South Asia where there have been notable changes in the past few years.3.To close the mobile internet gender gap by 2030 across low-and middle-income countries,an estimated 810 million women
36、 need to adopt it.This is equivalent to 100 million women a year,on average.However,if the gender gap remains unchanged,forecasts suggest that only 360 million more women will adopt mobile internet by 2030.4.There are 900 million women in low-and middle-income countries who are still not using mobil
37、e internet,almost two-thirds of whom live in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.Women in these regions remain the least likely to use mobile internet compared to men,with gender gaps of 41%and 36%,respectively.5.Women were more likely than men to report they had reduced their use of mobile internet i
38、n 2022,especially those who live in rural areas and are less educated.Across all survey countries,women also tend to use their mobile phones for a narrower range of activities and use mobile internet less regularly than men.6.The gender gap in smartphone ownership has stalled for the second year in
39、a row,and women in low-and middle-income countries are 17%less likely than men to own a smartphone.This translates into around 250 million fewer women than men.While more men and women own a smartphone than ever before,the rate of adoption for both has slowed down slightly.55%of women now own a smar
40、tphone compared to 67%of men.However,once women own a smartphone,their awareness and use of mobile internet is almost on par with men.7The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20237.The underlying gender gap in mobile ownership across low-and middle-income countries has changed very little since 2017.Women acro
41、ss these countries are 7%less likely than men to own a mobile phone.440 million women still do not own one and are proving difficult to reach.The top-reported barriers to mobile phone ownership are affordability,literacy and digital skills and lack of perceived relevance.Women who do not own a phone
42、 were more likely than men to report that being able to use someone elses phone made them feel they did not need one of their own.8.Women are still less likely than men to be aware of mobile internet across low-and middle-income countries.Although awareness has grown only marginally since 2019,gende
43、r gaps have been narrowing consistently.In most survey countries,awareness is relatively high but does not always translate into adoption.9.For mobile users who are already aware of mobile internet,the top-reported barriers to adopting it are still affordability(primarily of handsets),literacy and d
44、igital skills,and safety and security concerns.Millions more women than men face these barriers because they are offline.Women also tend to experience these barriers more acutely due to social norms and structural inequalities,such as lower education and income.10.Most people who use mobile internet
45、 believe it has had a positive impact on their lives and use it every day,with little difference between women and men.This suggests that once women use mobile internet,it improves their lives to a similar degree as men.In all survey countries,between 53%and 91%of mobile internet users report a posi
46、tive overall impact on their lives.Despite concerns associated with the internet,in almost all survey countries less than a fifth of mobile internet users reported a negative overall impact on their life.11.Closing the gender gap in mobile ownership and use in low-and middle-income countries by 2030
47、 would deliver an estimated$230 billion in additional revenue to the mobile industry.The vast majority of this opportunity would be derived from closing the gender gap in mobile use.7The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20239The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Infographic8The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023IN LO
48、W-AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES:61%of women now use mobile internet BUTwomens rate of mobile internet adoption has slowed for the second year in a row Mens rate of adoption also slowed over the past yearTHE MOBILE INTERNET GENDER GAP REMAINS RELATIVELY UNCHANGEDWomen are19%less likely than men to use
49、mobile internetThis means310Mfewer women than men use mobile internetTo close the mobile internet gender gap by2030100MWOMEN A YEAR ON AVERAGE MUST START USING ITA TOTAL OF 900M women are still not using mobile internetALMOST2/3LIVE IN South Asia and Sub-Saharan AfricaWOMENwere more likely than men
50、to report REDUCING THEIR MOBILE INTERNET USE IN 2022Especially those who live in rural areas and are less educated9The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023IN LOW-AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES:Progress has stalled in closing the gender gap in smartphone ownershipWomen are17%less likely than men to own a smart
51、phone250Mfewer women than men own a smartphoneWOMEN ARE 7%less likely than men to own a mobile phone440Mwomen still do not own a mobile phoneMOBILE OWNERSHIPThe top 3 barrierspreventing women from owning a mobile phone are:1.AFFORDABILITY2.LITERACY AND DIGITAL SKILLS 3.PERCEIVED RELEVANCEMillions mo
52、re women than men face these barriers because they do not own a mobile phoneMOBILE INTERNET ADOPTIONThe top 3 barrierspreventing women who are mobile users and aware of mobile internet from adopting it are:1.AFFORDABILITY(PRIMARILY OF HANDSETS)2.LITERACY AND DIGITAL SKILLS 3.SAFETY AND SECURITY Mill
53、ions more women than men face these barriers because they are offlineACROSS THE 12 SURVEY COUNTRIES:Most women who use mobile internet report that it has had apositive impact on their lives and that they use it every dayClosing the gender gapin mobile ownership and use by2030would generate an estima
54、ted$230BNin additional revenue for the mobile industry10The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202311The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20237.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
55、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.”Mob
56、ile internet users are those who answered,“Yes,I have used the internet on a mobile phone in the last three months.”11The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023DefinitionsGENDER GAPThe gender gap in mobile phone ownership and mobile internet use is calculated using the following formula:Gender gap in ownersh
57、ip/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 n
58、ot 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 93%across the sample countries,ranging from 87%to 98%).FEATURE PHONE OWNERA mobile owner that has sole or primary use of a feature phone.A feature phone is an intern
59、et-enabled mobile phone with a small screen and basic keypad with several letters per button.A feature phone may have some pre-installed 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 p
60、hones and are not recorded as a separate category in the survey.SMARTPHONE OWNERA 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,
61、such as Google Play or the App Store.MOBILE INTERNET USERA person who has used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in the last three months.7 Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone.Therefore,they can be non-mobile phone owners who use mobile internet by accessing
62、 it on someone elses mobile phone.12The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023The mobile gender gap in 2023 During the global economic crisis in 2022,womens levels of mobile ownership and mobile internet adoption stayed the same or increased in most survey countries.However,similar changes in mens levels of
63、adoption meant no progress was made in closing the gender gaps in mobile ownership or mobile internet adoption.Mobile ownership in LMICs remains unequal.Women are 7%less likely than men to own a mobile phone,which translates into 130 million fewer women than men owning one.This gender gap has seen l
64、ittle change since 2017(see Figure 1)and the 440 million women who still do not own a mobile phone are proving difficult to reach.The gender gap in smartphone ownership also remained relatively unchanged in 2022.This gender gap had been narrowing,but it widened slightly in 2021 to 18%and now stands
65、at 17%(see Figure 1).Addressing these gender gaps is crucial,as owning a mobile phone,particularly a smartphone,significantly increases mobile internet awareness and use among both men and women.The mobile internet gender gap narrowed substantially between 2017 and 2020,from 25%to 15%.However,progre
66、ss stalled in 2021 when the gender gap widened slightly to 18%.Unfortunately,the gender gap remains relatively unchanged,with women now 19%less likely than men to use mobile internet(see Figure 1).Although both women and men continued to adopt mobile internet in 2022,they did so at an even slower ra
67、te than in 2021.Across LMICs,an additional 60 million women adopted mobile internet in 2022,but 310 million fewer women than men are using mobile internet and,by extension,benefiting from it.In 2022,there was no notable change in any regional gender gaps in mobile ownership or mobile internet,with t
68、he widest gaps still in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.Women are 41%less likely than men to use mobile internet in South Asia and 36%less likely than men to do so in Sub-Saharan Africa.In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis,this further slowdown in digital inclusion
69、is perhaps not surprising.However,it is a stark reminder to focus attention,action and investment on addressing the digital divide,particularly the digital gender divide.Women are7%less likely than men to own a mobile phone And19%less likely to use mobile internet13The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20231
70、3The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202314The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 1 Gender gaps across LMICs and by region,20172022GENDER GAPS IN MOBILE OWNERSHIP AND SMARTPHONE OWNERSHIPAcross LMICs overallGender gap in overall mobile ownershipGender gap in smartphone ownership200202021202219%
71、21%21%16%18%17%10%11%9%8%8%7%Gender gap in mobile ownershipGender gap in smartphone ownership1%1%1%2%2%4%5%3%3%5%26%14%14%14%13%13%9%9%9%8%10%13%9%1%1%1%1%-1%-1%-1%2%2%2%2%2%2%28%22%18%17%15%59%59%41%26%28%27%29%30%18%11%7%11%10%5%5%4%18%18%15%19%46%42%28%14%1%2%2%2%2%3%60%200202021202220
72、02120222020South AsiaSouth Asia26%28%22%18%17%15%59%60%59%41%46%42%Sub-SaharanAfricaSub-SaharanAfrica14%14%14%13%13%13%26%28%27%29%30%28%Middle East&North AfricaMiddle East&North Africa9%9%9%8%10%9%18%18%19%18%15%14%East Asia&PacificEast Asia&Pacific1%2%2%2%1%2%1%3%2%2%2%2%Europe&Central
73、AsiaEurope&Central Asia2%1%1%-1%-1%-1%11%11%10%5%5%4%Latin America&CaribbeanLatin America&Caribbean2%1%1%1%2%2%7%5%3%3%4%5%2002The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023GENDER GAP IN MOBILE INTERNETAcross LMICs overallGender gap in mobile internet200202021202225%23%20%15%18%1
74、9%Gender gap in mobile internet66%57%50%35%41%41%South Asia35%37%35%35%36%36%Sub-SaharanAfrica20%20%20%18%15%15%Middle East&North Africa7%10%8%4%4%6%East Asia&Pacific7%7%5%5%5%5%Europe&Central Asia5%1%1%0%1%2%Latin America&CaribbeanSource:GSMA,2023 Mobile ownership is defined as having sole or main
75、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
76、mobile ownership,smartphone ownership and mobile internet use refers to how much less likely a woman is to own a mobile(or a smartphone 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
77、 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.2000022220
78、22202220202020202016The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Country-level gender gaps in mobile ownership and mobile internet adoptionWith the exception of mobile ownership in Egypt and Mexico,women were less likely than men to own a mobile phone and to use mobile internet in all survey countries(see Figur
79、e 2).Gender gaps in mobile internet use are wider than gender gaps in mobile ownership in all markets.Even in countries with relatively small gender gaps in mobile ownership,such as Ghana,Kenya,Nigeria and India,the gender gap in mobile internet use can be substantial.For example,in Ghana,women are
80、7%less likely than men to own a mobile phone,but 26%less likely to use mobile internet.Gender gaps in mobile ownership have not changed over the past year in most LMICs.This is the case for eight of the 10 LMICs for which we have previous data.The two exceptions are Egypt and Senegal.In Egypt,womens
81、 mobile ownership increased from 76%to 81%while mens remained at 83%,resulting in a smaller gender gap.The opposite occurred in Senegal where the gender gap widened due to womens mobile ownership remaining at 77%but mens increasing from 83%to 89%(see Spotlight:Mobile gender gaps are widening in Sene
82、gal).Gender gaps in mobile internet use also remained relatively flat in six of the 10 countries surveyed in 2021 and 2022.The other countries had different trends.In Kenya and Bangladesh,the gender gap in mobile internet narrowed slightly,while in Indonesia,mobile internet adoption increased among
83、women but not to the same extent as men.In Senegal,womens mobile internet adoption stalled while mens continued to grow(see Spotlight:Mobile gender gaps are widening in Senegal),resulting in a wider mobile internet gender gap in both markets.The gender gap in mobile internet use in South Asia,and ac
84、ross LMICs overall,is largely driven by India,a country of 1.4 billion people,that has seen significant changes in its mobile internet gender gap over the past few years.Between 2018 and 2020,the gender gap had been narrowing due to changing market dynamics,more affordable handsets and a notable inc
85、rease in womens adoption during the onset of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns.However,in 2021,this trend reversed when mens adoption of mobile internet increased while womens remained unchanged.Our latest data shows that progress has stalled again,with no change in mobile internet use for either
86、men or women(see Spotlight:Progress on digital inclusion has stalled in India).This is likely a result of supply chain disruptions since the onset of the pandemic,a slowing economy and increased inflation,among other factors,which have made accessing the internet less affordable and accessible for p
87、eople in India in general,8 but especially for women.8.See,for example,The Economist.(2023).“Indias rocketing internet user growth has stalled”and BBC News.(2023).“Why internet growth has stalled in India”.16The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202317The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202317The Mobile Gender Gap
88、Report 2023Figure 2 Male and female mobile ownership and mobile internet adoption,by country Percentage of total adult populationMenWomenX%=Gender GapMOBILE OWNERSHIP(%)GENDER GAPMOBILE INTERNET(%)GENDER GAPAFRICAEgypt83%81%2%65%57%12%Ethiopia75%55%27%22%10%57%Ghana92%86%7%61%45%26%Kenya93%88%6%59%3
89、9%34%Nigeria 91%86%5%56%34%38%Senegal89%77%13%72%57%20%ASIABangladesh84%67%20%37%21%43%India81%72%11%52%31%40%Indonesia83%75%10%65%55%15%Pakistan81%52%35%45%27%38%LATIN AMERICAGuatemala82%75%9%69%59%14%Mexico90%88%2%82%79%4%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022.Base:Total population aged 18+A mobile owne
90、r 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
91、 a woman is to own a mobile(or to use mobile internet)than a man.n=482 to 983 for women and n=473 to 1,176 for men18The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023v9.The exception was Mexico.18The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023The journey to mobile internet useMobile phones remain the primary,and often only,way th
92、at people in LMICs access the internet,especially women.Most internet users in 11 of the 12 survey countries access it exclusively via mobile9 and,in all survey countries,a higher proportion of female internet users access it exclusively via mobile.For example,75%of female internet users in Ghana on
93、ly access the internet via a mobile phone compared to 58%of male users.While no two people will experience the exact same journey to acquiring and using mobile technology,there are common milestones and barriers.The mobile internet user journey starts with mobile ownership and progresses to mobile i
94、nternet awareness,mobile internet adoption and,finally,to regular and diverse mobile internet use(see Figure 3).Understanding where men and women tend to get stuck on this user journey is key to targeting action and driving equal access and use.In all survey countries,the proportion of the populatio
95、n using mobile internet is relatively low(especially women)compared to the proportion who own a mobile phone or are aware of mobile internet(see Figure 3).For example,in Bangladesh,84%of men and 67%of women own a mobile phone,and 75%of men and 64%of women are aware of mobile internet but only 37%and
96、 21%are using it.This is true even when there are relatively high levels of mobile ownership and mobile internet awareness,for instance,in Kenya,Ghana and Nigeria.19The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Beyond mobile internet adoption,it is also important to compare how regularly women and men use mobile
97、 internet,and whether it is meeting their life needs to the same extent.Despite the persistent mobile internet gender gap in most survey countries,once men and women become mobile internet users,10 the vast majority tend to use it every day11(see Figure 3).For example,in Egypt,65%of men and 57%of wo
98、men are mobile internet users and 62%and 51%,respectively,use it at least once a day.In fact,across the survey countries,between 65%and 95%of male mobile internet users and between 59%and 93%of female mobile internet users report accessing it daily.Still,most of these daily mobile internet users onl
99、y use it for a limited range of purposes.This is especially true for female mobile internet users.For example,in Senegal,57%of women are mobile internet users but just 17%perform three or more mobile internet use cases every day(compared to 72%and 27%of men,respectively).However,in a few survey coun
100、tries,once men and women adopt mobile internet,most use it regularly for multiple use cases.For example,in Indonesia,55%of women use mobile internet and 40%use it daily for at least three use cases.At each stage of the user journey,gender gaps tend to widen,except in Mexico where women remain on par
101、 with men all the way to regular,diverse use.The user journey is very different for smartphone owners,however,with much narrower gender gaps at each stage.12 In all the survey countries,once women own a smartphone,their awareness and use of mobile internet is almost on par with men.10.Mobile interne
102、t use is defined as a person who has used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in the last three months.11.Daily mobile internet use is defined as a person who has used at least one mobile internet use case at least once a day.12.The analysis is not shown here,but for more in-depth informati
103、on see,for example,Figure 9 in The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022.19The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202320The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 3 The mobile internet user journey Percentage of total adult population1Mobile ownership2Mobile internet awareness3Mobile internet adoption4Regular and divers
104、e mobile internet useMobile ownershipMobile internet awarenessMobile internet adoptionRegular mobile internet use Regular and diverse mobile internet use EGYPTMen83%93%65%62%50%Women81%87%57%51%36%ETHIOPIAMen75%62%22%14%6%Women55%47%10%6%2%GHANAMen92%92%61%54%32%Women86%86%45%39%23%KENYAMen93%88%59%
105、45%22%Women88%81%39%32%14%NIGERIAMen91%92%56%46%25%Women86%87%34%28%13%SENEGALMen89%95%72%56%27%Women77%92%57%40%17%BANGLADESHMen84%75%37%31%25%Women67%64%21%17%14%INDIAMen81%72%52%42%30%Women72%58%31%25%18%INDONESIAMen83%86%65%60%50%Women75%83%55%51%40%PAKISTANMen81%88%45%32%15%Women52%84%27%16%9%G
106、UATEMALAMen82%89%69%61%45%Women75%84%59%50%37%MEXICOMen90%96%82%74%49%Women88%96%79%73%51%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022Base: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
107、 a month.Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone.Regular mobile internet use is defined as performing at least one mobile internet use case daily.Regular and diverse mobile internet use is defined as performing at least three mobile internet use cases daily.n=482 to 983 fo
108、r women and n=473 to 1,176 for men21The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202321The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202322The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202313.For more in-depth information on this topic,see The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2021.22The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023The gender gap in mobile ownership Across
109、 LMICs,81%of women now own a mobile phone compared to 87%of men.Even though 60 million additional women owned one in 2022,440 million still do not(compared to 290 million men).Growth in mobile ownership for both women and men has remained relatively flat and the gender gap has seen little change as
110、a result.Women are currently 7%less likely than men to own a mobile phone,which translates into 130 million fewer women than men owning one.This gender gap in mobile ownership varies significantly by region(see Figure 4).For example,the gender gap is 2%in East Asia and Pacific,but 13%in Sub-Saharan
111、Africa.South Asia still has the widest gender gap in mobile ownership at 15%,but this has narrowed significantly over the past five years,down from 28%in 2018(Figure 1).Of all the survey countries,Pakistan has the widest gap in mobile ownership at 35%,followed by Ethiopia at 27%(Figure 2).Women are
112、not a homogeneous group,however,and certain women are more likely to be digitally excluded.Women who have low literacy levels,are unemployed,have low incomes,live in a rural area,are older than 55 or have a disability are even less likely to own a mobile phone.1323The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202323
113、The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 4 Gender gap in mobile ownership in LMICs,by region Total adult population OVERALL LMICs81%Proportion of women who owna mobile phone7%Gender gap in mobileownership440mWomen whodo not own amobile phoneMiddle East&North Africa 80%9%25mEurope&Central Asia 88%-1%2
114、0mLatin America&Caribbean 85%2%35mSub-SaharanAfrica69%13%95mSouthAsia77%15%145mEast Asia&Pacific86%2%115mGender gap-1%15%Source:GSMA Intelligence,2023The gender gap refers to how much 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 ca
115、rd(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+.24The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Understanding the barriers to mobile ownershipThe persistent gender gap in mobile ownership across LMICs is unlikely to
116、 close by itself.It is important to understand what is preventing people from owning a mobile phone in order to address these barriers.To identify the barriers to mobile ownership,people who do not own a mobile phone were asked whether certain barriers were preventing them from doing so and which th
117、ey considered the most important.Table 1 lists the top-reported barriers to mobile ownership by country(see Appendix 1 for more details).Across survey countries,the top barriers to mobile ownership are similar for men and women and reflect what has been reported in previous years.Affordability,prima
118、rily of handsets,is the top barrier reported by male and female non-mobile owners.In Senegal,61%of women and 46%of men who do not own a mobile phone reported that the lack of an affordable handset was the top reason why.Literacy and digital skills,specifically basic literacy,was the second most-repo
119、rted barrier to mobile ownership and was ranked in the top three in all survey markets.In Bangladesh,22%of women and 18%of men who do not own a mobile phone reported difficulties with reading and writing as the main reason.Relevance was reported as the third top barrier to mobile ownership overall a
120、cross the survey countries,but to a much lesser degree than affordability or literacy and digital skills.For this barrier,we asked non-mobile owners if a mobile phone was relevant for them.We also asked,for the first time,whether having access to someone elses mobile phone meant they did not feel th
121、e need for one of their own.In seven of the survey countries,a higher proportion of women than men who dont own a phone reported this as the main reason why,which indicates that in several markets women are more likely to feel that accessing someone elses phone is sufficient for their needs.For exam
122、ple,in Nigeria,12%of female non-mobile owners reported this as the main reason preventing them from owning their own mobile phone compared to just 3%of male non-mobile owners.While affordability(primarily of handsets),literacy and digital skills and lack of perceived relevance were the top barriers
123、to mobile ownership across the survey countries,there were variations at the country level(see Table 1).For example,in some countries,such as Bangladesh and Pakistan,family disapproval is a major barrier to womens mobile ownership.In both countries,family disapproval was the second most frequently c
124、ited barrier to mobile phone ownership among women who did not own one,even more than handset affordability.Safety and security is still the top barrier for both men and women in Guatemala,who had concerns about personal safety and unwanted contact from strangers.Women in Mexico also ranked safety a
125、nd security as their top barrier,with their concerns relating mainly to information security.25The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202325The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Table 1 Top barriers to mobile ownership for men and women in survey countries Based on the single most important barrier to mobile owner
126、ship reported by non-mobile ownersRankingALL COUNTRIESWomenMen1AffordabilityAffordability2Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skills3RelevanceRelevanceEGYPTETHIOPIAGHANAKENYANIGERIASENEGALWMWMWMWMWMWM1AffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabi
127、lityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordability2Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skills
128、Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skills3RelevanceRelevanceRelevanceRelevanceIDRelevanceRelevanceRelevanceRelevanceRelevanceFamily does not approveBANGLADESHINDIAINDONESIAPAKISTANWMWMWMWM1Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsAffo
129、rdabilityAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skills2Family does not approveRelevanceLiteracy and digital skillsAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsFamily does not approveSafety and security3RelevanceAffordabilityRelevanceSafety and securityRele
130、vanceRelevanceAffordabilityAffordabilityGUATEMALAMEXICOWMWM1Safety and securitySafety and securitySafety and securityAffordability2AffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsAffordabilitySafety and security3Literacy and digital skillsAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsSo
131、urce:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022 Base:Non-mobile owners aged 18+The barriers above are composite barriers.These composite barriers are aggregates(not averages)of the responses for two to three sub-barriers(see Appendix 1).Access-related barriers are not grouped as a composite since they cover a dispar
132、ate range of topics.Rankings indicate the relative aggregated proportion of non-mobile owners who responded,“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 having a mobile phone or SIM card
133、,connected to a mobile operators network?”The all countries barriers were calculated by averaging country-level data for the 12 survey countries where sample sizes allowed.Data for men in Kenya was excluded due to insufficient sample size(n30).n=54 to 239 for women and n=39 to 132 for men26The Mobil
134、e Gender Gap Report 202314.For more in-depth information,see Figure 9 in The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022.The gender gap in smartphone ownershipThe type of mobile device one owns has an impact on whether and how they use mobile internet.For example,smartphone owners are significantly more likely to
135、 be aware of and use mobile internet regularly.Once women own a smartphone,their levels of mobile internet awareness and use are almost on par with men.14 While more men and women own a smartphone than ever before,the rate of adoption has shown signs of slowing down across LMICs.An additional 85 mil
136、lion women and 85 million men became smartphone owners in 2022.This means that 55%of women across these countries are now smartphone owners compared to 67%of men.Women are 17%less likely than men to own a smartphone,which translates into 250 million fewer women than men who own one.The gender gap in
137、 smartphone ownership narrowed significantly between 2019 and 2020 from 21%to 15%,but there has been no notable change since then across LMICs and most regions(see Figure 1).The exception is South Asia,where despite having the largest gender gap in smartphone ownership that widened from 41%in 2020 t
138、o 46%in 2021,the gap narrowed to 42%in 2022.Across all 12 survey countries,women were less likely than men to own a smartphone(see Figure 5).For example,in Pakistan,43%of men own a smartphone compared to just 20%of women.Gender gaps in smartphone ownership were also particularly large in Ethiopia,In
139、dia and Bangladesh.Although there was no overall change in the smartphone gender gap across LMICs from 2021 to 2022,there have been changes at the country level,with trends varying considerably in the 10 markets that were surveyed in both years.The smartphone gender gap remained flat in Bangladesh a
140、nd Mexico,widened in Senegal,Indonesia,Pakistan and Guatemala,and narrowed in Egypt,Kenya,Nigeria and India.The most notable change was womens smartphone ownership in Egypt,which increased at a faster pace than mens,from 51%to 59%,and resulted in the gender gap narrowing from 15%to 10%.27The Mobile
141、Gender Gap Report 202327The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Basic phoneFeature phoneSmartphoneAFRICAEgyptMen12%3%66%Women17%2%59%EthiopiaMen30%17%22%Women24%10%12%GhanaMen27%4%61%Women34%4%46%KenyaMen26%10%51%Women29%11%38%NigeriaMen27%10%53%Women34%13%36%SenegalMen18%5%65%Women19%5%49%ASIABangladeshMe
142、n17%28%40%Women20%25%21%IndiaMen23%4%48%Women28%3%29%IndonesiaMen13%2%64%Women13%2%53%PakistanMen33%6%43%Women20%2%20%LATIN AMERICAGuatemalaMen12%3%63%Women11%2%52%MexicoMen6%6%74%Women6%5%70%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey 2022 Base:Total population aged 18+The total percentage of handset owners does n
143、ot 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 5 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
144、in one category.Smartphone owners that also own a basic or feature phone are counted only as smartphone owners.n=482 to 983 for women and n=473 to 1,176 for menFigure 5 Share of population by type of handset owned Percentage of total adult population28The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202315.Either a fea
145、ture phone or smartphoneSome owners of internet-enabled phones,especially women,are not using the internetIn some markets,particularly Ethiopia,Bangladesh,Nigeria and Kenya,a significant proportion of people who own an internet-enabled handset,15 especially women,do not use mobile internet while oth
146、ers are not even aware of it(see Figure 6).For example,in Ethiopia,10%of men and 16%of women who own an internet-enabled handset do not know what mobile internet is,and a further 40%and 43%,respectively,are aware of mobile internet but do not use it.In these four markets,men and women who own an int
147、ernet-enabled phone and are already aware of mobile internet report that the cost of a phone that can access the internet was their top barrier to adoption.This suggests that these mobile owners are either unaware that their existing handset can be used to access the internet or they felt they neede
148、d a better handset to do so.This data demonstrates that in many countries there is the opportunity to support men,and especially women,who already own an internet-enabled handset to access mobile internet for the first time.Figure 6 Mobile internet use among internet-enabled handset owners Percentag
149、e of adults who own an internet-enabled handsetUses mobile internetDoes not use mobile internet;aware of itDoes not use mobile internet;unaware of itEgyptMale2%6%92%Female2%7%91%EthiopiaMale10%40%50%Female16%43%41%GhanaMale2%9%89%Female2%14%84%KenyaMale5%10%85%Female5%23%72%NigeriaMale2%15%83%Female
150、5%27%68%SenegalMale1%5%94%Female1%8%92%BangladeshMale21%28%52%Female29%30%41%IndiaMale4%5%91%Female10%12%79%IndonesiaMale2%4%94%Female1%7%92%PakistanMale3%12%85%Female2%14%84%GuatemalaMale0%5%95%Female2%7%91%MexicoMale1%6%94%Female0%5%95%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey 2022 Base:Feature phone and smartp
151、hone 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.n=119 to 414 for women and n=242 to 649 for men29The Mobile Gender Ga
152、p Report 202329The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023In some countries,women are more likely than men to access the internet on someone elses mobile phoneWhile most mobile internet users have their own internet-enabled phone,in some countries,a notable proportion of people who use mobile internet,especia
153、lly women,do not own a mobile phone or only own a basic phone.This means they are accessing the internet on someone elses device.This was particularly true in Pakistan where 31%of female mobile internet users are only using someone elses phone to get online compared to only 7%of men(see Spotlight:Mo
154、re men and women came online in Pakistan in 2022,but many women still borrow devices).Similarly,in India,19%of female mobile internet users are only accessing it on someone elses device compared to 8%of men.30The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023SPOTLIGHTPakistan:More men and women came online in Pakist
155、an in 2022,but many women still borrow devicesGender gap in mobile ownershipGender gap in smartphone ownershipGender gap in mobile internetTop three individual barriers to mobile internet adoption among mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use itWOMENMEN35%53%38%Reading and writi
156、ng difficultiesHandset costFamily does not approveReading and writing difficultiesInternet is not relevant for meInternet is not relevant for meFrom 2018 to 2021,the number of women using mobile internet doubled,while the number of men using it stayed relatively flat(Figure 7).This resulted in the m
157、obile gender gap narrowing each year.Our latest data shows that the proportion of women using mobile internet in Pakistan continues to grow,increasing from 22%in 2021 to 27%in 2022.Mens mobile internet adoption increased at a similar rate from 36%to 45%and,as a result,there was no change in the gend
158、er gap in 2022.Women in Pakistan are still 38%less likely than men to use mobile internet.Figure 7 Mobile internet adoption in Pakistan,20172022 Percentage of total adult populationMenWomenGender gap201763%26%10%201871%38%11%201949%37%19%202043%38%21%202138%36%22%202238%45%27%Source:GSMA Consumer Su
159、rvey,2017-2022Base:Total population aged 18+Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone.Mobile internet use is defined as having used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in the last three months.The gender gap in mobile internet use refers to how much less likely a wo
160、man is to use mobile internet than a man.n=500 to 516 for women and n=504 to 516 for men31The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202316.GSMA.(2021).Addressing the Mobile Gender Gap in Pakistan.17.GSMA.(2022).The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022.31The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023In Pakistan,31%of women who use m
161、obile internet do not own a mobile or only own a basic mobile phone.This is compared to only 7%of men,which suggests that borrowing someone elses phone to access the internet is much more common among Pakistani women(see Figure 8).Other data also suggests that borrowing a device is prevalent among w
162、omen in Pakistan:39%of women and 21%of men who do not own a mobile reported that having access to someone elses phone makes them feel they do not need to have one of their own.Figure 8 Mobile ownership among mobile internet users in Pakistan,by handset type Percentage of mobile internet usersNon-mob
163、ile ownerBasic phoneFeature phoneSmartphoneWomen17%14%1%67%Men 1%6%2%91%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022Base:Mobile internet users aged 18+Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone.Mobile internet use is defined as having used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in
164、the last three months.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=141 for women and n=220 for menThe top-reported barriers to mobil
165、e ownership for women who do not own one are reading and writing difficulties,lack of family approval and handset affordability.Handset affordability and reading and writing difficulties are also top barriers for men who do not own a mobile phone,but women in Pakistan experience family disapproval m
166、uch more acutely than men 22%of women who do not own a phone report it as their top barrier to mobile ownership compared to 4%of men.Social norms permeate the mobile internet user journey for women in Pakistan.For instance,borrowing a mobile device often precedes mobile ownership for women in Pakist
167、an due to restrictive social norms.16 Even women who own a mobile phone have less autonomy over handset purchases than men.In 2021,we found that even when female mobile owners paid for their own device,just 75%had a choice over the model(compared to 85%of men)the lowest proportion of all 10 survey c
168、ountries.17 Among women who use a mobile phone and are aware of mobile internet,family approval also ranks in the top three barriers to mobile internet adoption,but not for men.This was the top-reported barrier in 2019 for women in Pakistan but now ranks second,suggesting that mobile internet use am
169、ong women may be becoming more socially acceptable for some women or that other barriers,such as literacy,affordability and relevance,have become relatively more important.Tackling the structural and cultural barriers that limit womens mobile ownership and adoption of mobile internet is vital to ens
170、ure they can use mobile to meet their life needs safely and autonomously.32The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 202232The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023The gender gap in mobile internet use 61%of women in LMICs now use mobile internet compared to 75%of men(see Figure 9).This
171、means that while 1.4 billion women are using mobile internet(60 million more than in 2021)there are still 310 million fewer women than men doing so.This translates into a 19%mobile internet gender gap.Despite more people using mobile internet than ever before,the rate of mobile internet adoption for
172、 both men and women slowed across LMICs in 2022.As a result,the mobile internet gender gap has remained relatively unchanged.This is the second year in a row that the rate of womens mobile internet adoption has slowed across LMICs compared to previous years.In 2021,progress in reducing the mobile in
173、ternet gender gap stalled and,in some countries,reversed.Prior to this,the mobile internet gender gap had been reducing,from 25%in 2017 to 15%in 2020.The slowdown in digital inclusion for women,and now also for men in 2022,as well as the fact that the mobile internet gender gap is not shrinking,are
174、all concerning findings.South Asia was the only region where there has been any notable shifts in the mobile internet gender gap since 2017,driven primarily by changes in India.However,this year,there has been no notable change in any regions,including South Asia(see Figure 1).Women in South Asia an
175、d Sub-Saharan Africa are still the least likely to use mobile internet compared to their male counterparts,with gender gaps of 41%and 36%,respectively(see Figure 9).Overall,there are 900 million women in LMICs who are unconnected,and almost two-thirds live in these two regions.33The Mobile Gender Ga
176、p Report 202333The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 9 Gender gap in mobile internet adoption in LMICs,by region Total adult population OVERALL61%Proportion of women who use mobile internet19%Gender gap in mobile internetadoption900mWomen whodo not use mobile internetMiddle East&North Africa 56%15
177、%60mEurope&Central Asia 74%5%45mLatin America&Caribbean 77%2%55mSub-SaharanAfrica32%36%215mSouthAsia46%41%345mEast Asia&Pacific78%6%185mGender gap2%41%Source:GSMA Intelligence,2023The gender gap refers to how much less likely a woman is to use mobile internet than a man.Mobile internet use is define
178、d 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 elses phone.Based on survey results and modelled data for adu
179、lts aged 18+.18.World Economic Forum.(2022).Global Gender Gap Report 2022.34The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Women,especially rural and less-educated women,were more likely than men to have reduced their mobile internet use This year we asked men and women who had used mobile internet in the past ye
180、ar whether they thought their usage had increased or decreased over that period.These changes may have been in their data use,frequency of use and/or variety of use cases.In nine of the 12 survey countries,most respondents reported a change in how much they used mobile internet.However,their experie
181、nces diverged based on their gender.Women respondents were less likely than men to report increasing their mobile internet use and more likely to report decreasing it.This was especially true for women who live in rural areas,are less educated and older.This is demonstrated in Figure 10,which focuse
182、s on Kenya.Among those who had used mobile internet in the past year in Kenya,26%of rural women reported decreasing their use“a lot”compared to 18%of rural men,while this was reported by just 11%of urban women and 9%of urban men.The ongoing economic crisis is a likely contributor to this reduced mob
183、ile internet use and as well as the slowdown in mobile internet adoption as it has become less affordable,especially for women.Given that this crisis will likely continue to affect women disproportionately,18 targeted efforts are required to ensure they are not left behind.Figure 10 Change in mobile
184、 internet use in Kenya Percentage of those who have used mobile internet in the past year Increased mobile internet use a lot in the past yearDecreased mobile internet use a lot in the past yearOverallMale14%37%Female20%30%UrbanMale9%46%Female11%30%RuralMale18%31%Female26%30%Secondaryor aboveMale9%4
185、5%Female11%40%Primaryor belowMale18%32%Female25%24%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022Base:Adults aged 18+who have used mobile internet in the past yearn=246 for women and n=323 for men19.54%of mobile internet users in Pakistan reported an overall positive impact on their lives.35The Mobile Gender Gap
186、Report 2023Women and men who use mobile internet believe that it has a positive impact on their livesWhile mobile internet can deliver substantial benefits to users,such as making them feel safer,more autonomous and providing access to information,there are also negative aspects of the internet,such
187、 as unsolicited online contact and concerns related to scams or fraud.We asked mobile internet users whether they thought it had an overall positive or negative impact on their life in the past year.Despite the concerns sometimes associated with using the internet,less than a fifth of mobile interne
188、t users in all countries reported an overall negative impact on their life,except in Ethiopia(see Figure 11).In all survey countries except Pakistan,19 between 62%and 91%of mobile internet users reported an overall positive impact on their lives,with women in most countries reporting this to a simil
189、ar degree as men(see Figure 11).For example,in Senegal,82%of male and female mobile internet users report that it had either a somewhat or very positive impact on their lives.This suggests that when women start using mobile internet,it improves their lives to a similar degree as men.However,in some
190、countries,such as Kenya,Ghana and Indonesia,women were less likely than men to report an overall positive impact from using mobile internet.More research is needed to better understand why women in these countries are less likely than men to feel the positive impact of mobile internet.Figure 11 How
191、mobile internet users perceive its impact on their lives Percentage of mobile internet usersDont knowVery negative impactSomewhat negative impactNeither negative not positive impactSomewhat positive impactVery positive impact0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%EgyptMenWomenEthiopiaMenWomenGhanaMenWomen
192、KenyaMenWomenNigeriaMenWomenSenegalMenWomenBangladeshMenWomenIndiaMenWomenIndonesiaMenWomenPakistanMenWomenGuatemalaMenWomenMexicoMenWomenSource:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022Base:Mobile internet users aged 18+Mobile internet users were asked the question,“On balance,has using the internet on a mobile ph
193、one had a positive or negative impact overall on your life in the last 12 months?”n=66 to 437 for women and n=138 to 645 for men36The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202336The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023SPOTLIGHTSenegal:Mobile gender gaps are widening in SenegalGender gap in mobile ownershipGender gap in
194、 smartphone ownershipGender gap in mobile internetTop three individual barriers to mobile internet adoption among mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use itWOMENMEN13%25%20%Handset costHandset costReading and writing difficultiesReading and writing difficultiesInternet is not re
195、levant for meDo not have time to learn to use mobile internetIn Senegal,gender gaps in mobile ownership,smartphone ownership and mobile internet widened in 2022(see Figure 12).Although these gaps narrowed between 2019 and 2021,they have now returned to levels similar to those in 2019.For instance,th
196、e mobile internet gender gap was 22%in 2019,narrowed to 16%in 2021 but is now 20%.These widening gender gaps are due to men experiencing growth in mobile internet adoption,but women have not to the same extent or,in the case of smartphones,their ownership levels have dropped.Figure 12 Mobile ownersh
197、ip,smartphone ownership and mobile internet adoption in Senegal,20212022 Percentage of total adult populationMenWomenX%=Gender GapMobile ownership20217%83%77%202213%89%77%Smartphone ownership202113%62%54%202225%65%49%Mobile internet adoption202116%68%57%202220%72%57%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2021
198、and 2022Base: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.Mobile internet use is defined as havi
199、ng used the internet on a mobile phone at least once in the last three months.The gender gap in mobile ownership,smartphone ownership or mobile internet use refers to how much less likely a woman is to own a mobile(or smartphone,or to use mobile internet)than a man.n=518 to 568 for women and n=512 t
200、o 520 for men37The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202320.Since 2021,there has been a 22 and 36 percentage point increase in female and male respondents,respectively,reporting handset affordability as their top barrier to mobile internet adoption a greater increase than any other survey country.21.46.7%of
201、Senegals population were estimated to be living below the national poverty line.National poverty lines are benchmarks for estimating poverty indicators that are consistent with the countrys economic and social circumstances.National poverty lines reflect local perceptions of the level and compositio
202、n of consumption or income needed to not live in poverty.22.See:World Bank,Poverty and Inequality Platform.Data is compiled from official government sources or calculated by World Bank staff using national(i.e.,country-specific)poverty lines.23.World Bank.(2022).Poverty and Equity Brief:Senegal.37Th
203、e Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023While womens smartphone ownership decreased from 2021 to 2022,basic phone ownership increased(see Figure 13),particularly among women who live in rural areas.In contrast,mens smartphone ownership increased in both urban and rural areas.This suggests mobile owners may b
204、e downgrading their phones,especially rural women,a group that are already most likely to be digitally excluded.Although progress has stalled in closing mobile gender gaps in Senegal,men and women who were already using mobile and mobile internet reported that their usage had increased.For example,b
205、oth men and women who already owned a mobile phone reported performing more weekly use cases on average than in 2021(see Figure 17).Additionally,74%of women and 79%of men who use mobile internet reported increasing their usage in 2022.These findings suggest a two-tiered experience whereby those who
206、already owned a handset or used mobile internet were able to increase and diversify their use of mobile and mobile services,but those who were already excluded remained so.Figure 13 Share of population in Senegal by handset type,20212022 Percentage of total adult populationBasic phoneFeature phoneSm
207、artphoneMen202114%5%62%202218%5%65%Women202113%5%54%202219%5%49%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2021 and 2022Base:Total population 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 featur
208、e phone are counted only as smartphone owners.n=518 to 568 for women and n=512 to 520 for menA higher proportion of mobile users who are aware of mobile internet reported handset affordability as the biggest reason preventing adoption in 2022 than in 2021,with more than half of women and men in this
209、 group now reporting this.20 This increase was greatest among rural men and women.Based on the most recent data available,Senegal has the second highest proportion of the population living below the national poverty line,21 compared to the 11 other survey countries.22 As such,the economic shock in 2
210、022 that slowed GDP growth and increased inflation is likely to have had a greater impact on the affordability of goods and services in Senegal than in most other survey markets,including mobile and mobile services.Women likely felt this impact most acutely as they tend to have less financial autono
211、my and lower incomes.Those living in rural areas also likely experienced this more acutely,as they are 2.5 times as likely to fall into poverty from a shock than those in urban areas.23Since smartphone owners are significantly more likely to adopt mobile internet and use it more regularly and in mor
212、e diverse ways,more affordable devices will benefit women disproportionately,especially rural women.Making handsets more affordable should be prioritised to ensure gender gaps do not widen further.38The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Understanding barriers to mobile internet adoptionAwareness of mobil
213、e internetAwareness of mobile internet is a critical step in the mobile internet user journey.As such,lower awareness among women is a key contributor to the persistent gender gap in mobile internet adoption in LMICs.There has only been marginal growth in mobile internet awareness among men and wome
214、n in most survey countries since 2019.Although the gender gaps in awareness have consistently narrowed,they have been closing more slowly in recent years.For example,in Pakistan,the gender gap was 30%in 2018,this dropped significantly in 2020 to 8%and in 2022 stands at 5%.Overall,awareness of mobile
215、 internet is relatively high among both men and women.In nine of the 12 survey countries,more than 80%of the population is aware of it,and in Mexico it is as high as 96%.However,gender gaps remain.In all survey countries(except Mexico),women are less likely than men to be aware of mobile internet(se
216、e Figure 14).Awareness is lowest in Ethiopia where just 62%of men and 47%of women are aware of mobile internet,resulting in the widest gender gap of all survey countries.Mobile internet awareness is also particularly low among women in India(58%)and Bangladesh(62%).This indicates there are significa
217、nt opportunities to increase awareness of mobile internet and its benefits in these three countries,especially among women.Awareness of mobile internet among women has grown most significantly in Kenya,India,Indonesia and Pakistan,increasing by at least seven percentage points since 2021.This is imp
218、ortant progress,especially in India where awareness levels for women have still not surpassed 60%.39The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 14 Awareness of mobile internet Percentage of total adult populationMenWomenEgypt93%87%Ethiopia62%47%Ghana92%86%Kenya88%81%Nigeria 92%87%Senegal95%92%Bangladesh
219、75%64%India72%58%Indonesia86%83%Pakistan88%84%Guatemala89%84%Mexico96%96%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022Base: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 in
220、ternet on a mobile phone.n=482 to 983 for women and n=473 to 1,176 for menAwareness of mobile internet does not always translate to adoptionThere are many people who are mobile users and are aware of mobile internet but do not use it,suggesting there are other barriers preventing them from doing so.
221、This is especially true for women.In half the survey countries,more than 40%of female mobile users who are aware of mobile internet do not use it.This figure is as high as 77%in Ethiopia(see Figure 15).For example,in Kenya,49%of female mobile users who are aware of mobile internet do not use it comp
222、ared to 31%of men.This,combined with womens lower uptake of mobile internet,means that addressing barriers beyond awareness will benefit women disproportionately.40The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 15 Mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it Percentage of mobile users wh
223、o are aware of mobile internetMenWomenEgypt17%24%Ethiopia63%77%Ghana31%43%Kenya31%49%Nigeria 35%56%Senegal17%25%Bangladesh44%55%India19%33%Indonesia16%23%Pakistan41%54%Guatemala12%19%Mexico10%11%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022Base:Mobile users who are aware of mobile internet aged 18+A person is co
224、nsidered 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.n=239 to 492 for women and n=354 to 797 for menBarriers to mobile internet adoption among mobile users who are aware of it W
225、ith progress in driving digital inclusion slowing and a substantial,stubborn gender gap in mobile internet adoption,it is critical to understand the barriers people face once they become aware of mobile internet.In all survey countries,mobile users who were aware of mobile internet but did not use i
226、t were asked whether certain barriers were stopping them from doing so(see Appendix 1 for more details).They were then asked which of these barriers they considered important and,finally,which was the single most important barrier to mobile internet adoption.Across survey countries,the top barrier t
227、o mobile internet adoption for male and female respondents was affordability,particularly of internet-enabled handsets.Literacy and digital skills is consistently highly reported as a barrier by men and women,ranking second overall.This tends to be primarily difficulties with reading and writing,alt
228、hough not knowing how to access the internet on a mobile phone was also commonly cited by respondents in several countries,including India and Indonesia.Safety and security concerns remain an important barrier,especially in Mexico where it is ranked as the top barrier for male and female mobile user
229、s who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it.At the country level,there are variations in the top-reported barriers(see Table 2).For example,affordability was the top barrier for female respondents in all African markets surveyed except Egypt and Ethiopia,where it was literacy and digital sk
230、ills.In general,the barriers preventing female and male mobile users who are aware of mobile internet from adopting it are quite similar.Still,women tend to experience these barriers more acutely than men due to structural inequalities,including disparities in access to education and income.Furtherm
231、ore,analysis shows that even when women have the same education,income,literacy and employment levels as men,they are still less likely to use mobile internet,suggesting that other issues are at play,such as discrimination and social norms.24It is important to remember that because of the mobile int
232、ernet gender gap,millions more women than men experience these barriers.Addressing these barriers is therefore likely to disproportionately enable more women to go online.24.Butler,C.and Shanahan,M.(27 August 2020).“Does just being a woman reduce the likelihood of using mobile?”,GSMA Mobile for Deve
233、lopment Blog.41The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202342The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Affordability,particularly of handsets,was the top-reported barrier to mobile internet adoption across survey countries for mobile users who are already aware of it.In eight of the 12 survey countries,25 handset cost
234、was the single most important reason preventing both male and female respondents from adopting mobile internet.Even in countries where handset affordability was not the top reason,it was still reported by a significant proportion of respondents as a barrier to adoption.For example,in Pakistan,while
235、not their top reason,46%of female mobile users and 50%of male users who are already aware of mobile internet said handset affordability was a reason preventing mobile internet adoption.Although affordability was the top barrier for both male and female respondents,research has shown that issues such
236、 as the gender pay gap and womens lower employment rates mean that handsets are already less affordable for women than men.GSMA analysis has found that,on average,the cost of an entry-level handset represents 25%of womens monthly income in LMICs,compared to 15%of mens.26 Literacy and digital skills
237、remains one of the top barriers to mobile internet adoption in LMICs.In most of the survey countries,women respondents were more likely than men to report this as their top barrier.This barrier is a composite of five sub-barriers,of which reading and writing difficulties was the most frequently repo
238、rted.Female mobile users in Bangladesh,India,Pakistan and Guatemala who were aware of mobile internet but did not use it reported that reading and writing difficulties was the main reason.Not knowing how to access mobile internet was the second most-reported reason,with 51%of female users and 43%of
239、male users in Egypt who are aware of mobile internet reporting that this was something stopping them from adopting it.Safety and security continues to be a barrier to adoption for male and female mobile users who are already aware of mobile internet,particularly in Latin America.This includes concer
240、ns related to information security,unwanted contact from strangers and exposure to harmful content.In Mexico,safety and security was the top-reported barrier for male and female respondents.Relevance remains a top barrier to mobile internet adoption for many,ranking in the top three for female respo
241、ndents in seven of the 12 survey countries(see Table 2).This barrier includes perceptions that the internet is not relevant,which was reported by 14%of female respondents and 20%of male respondents in Bangladesh.It also includes lack of content in local languages,which is reported as a barrier to a
242、lesser extent.Access-related barriers cover a wide range of issues,from a lack of quality network coverage to family approval,so they are not grouped as a composite.In several countries,but especially Pakistan,lack of family approval is a major barrier to adoption.This was reported primarily by fema
243、le mobile users who are aware of mobile internet.Understanding the role of gatekeepers is therefore key to facilitating womens mobile internet adoption,especially in markets where social norms are ubiquitous and more restrictive.25.Egypt,Ethiopia,Ghana,Kenya,Nigeria,Senegal,Indonesia and Mexico.26.G
244、SMA.(2022).The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2022(see Figure 31).43The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202343The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Table 2 Top barriers to mobile internet adoption for mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use it Based on the single most important barri
245、er to adopting mobile internet reported by mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but have not used it in the last three monthsRankingALL COUNTRIESWomenMen1AffordabilityAffordability2Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skills3Safety and securityRelevanceEGYPTETHIOPIAGHANAKENYANIGE
246、RIASENEGALWMWMWMWMWMWM1Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityAffordability2AffordabilityAffordabilityAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and
247、 digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skills3Safety and securityRelevanceRelevanceNo coverageRelevanceRelevanceRelevanceRelevanceRelevanceRe
248、levanceRelevanceSafety and securityBANGLADESHINDIAINDONESIAPAKISTANWMWMWMWM1Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsAffordabilityAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skills2RelevanceRelevanceAffordabilityAffo
249、rdabilityLiteracy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsFamily does not approveAffordability3Safety and securitySafety and securitySafety and securitySafety and securityRelevanceRelevanceSafety and securityRelevanceGUATEMALAMEXICOWMWM1Literacy and digital skillsLiteracy and digital skillsSafe
250、ty and securitySafety and security2Safety and securitySafety and securityAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skills3AffordabilityAffordabilityLiteracy and digital skillsAffordabilitySource:GSMA Consumer Survey,2022Base:Adults aged 18+who have used a mobile phone in the last three months but have not u
251、sed 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-b
252、arriers(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 woul
253、d you say is the single most important reason stopping you from using the internet on a mobile phone?”n=45 to 204 for women and n=38 to 205 for men44The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202344The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023SPOTLIGHTIndiaProgress on digital inclusion has stalled in India Gender gap in mobi
254、le ownershipGender gap in smartphone ownershipGender gap in mobile internetTop three individual barriers to mobile internet adoption among mobile users who are aware of mobile internet but do not use itWOMENMEN11%40%40%Reading and writing difficultiesDo not know how to access mobile internetHandset
255、costHandset costDo not know how to access mobile internetReading and writing difficultiesThe gender gap in mobile internet adoption in India narrowed significantly between 2017 and 2020(Figure 16).However,in 2022,mobile internet adoption stalled among women and remains around 30%for the third year r
256、unning.This was also the first year since 2017 that mens adoption has stalled.As a result,the gender gap in mobile internet remains relatively unchanged since it widened last year,standing at 40%.Figure 16 Mobile internet adoption in India,20172022 Percentage of total adult populationMenWomenGender
257、gap201768%26%8%201856%36%16%201950%42%21%202033%45%30%202141%51%30%202240%52%31%Source:GSMA Consumer Survey,2017-2022Base:Total population aged 18+Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone.Mobile internet use is defined as having used the internet on a mobile phone at least
258、once in the last three months.The gender gap in mobile internet use refers to how much less likely a woman is to use mobile internet than a man.n=966 to 983 for women and n=1,131 to 1,176 for men45The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023To ensure women and men in India have the opportunity to use mobile in
259、ternet,it is critical to understand the barriers preventing them from adopting it.Mobile internet awareness is particularly low in India and,despite an increase among women from 51%in 2021 to 58%in 2022,it is still lower than almost all other survey countries.In fact,of those who do not use mobile i
260、nternet,57%of men and 61%of women do not even know it exists.Once male and female mobile users are aware of mobile internet,the top barriers preventing them from using it are similar(see Figure 22 in Appendix 1).This includes a lack of basic literacy and not knowing how to access the internet on a m
261、obile phone.Affordability of internet-enabled handsets was the second most-reported barrier for both male and female respondents.This barrier is likely to have been felt more acutely in 2022 as the lasting economic effects of the pandemic and rising unemployment and inflation have made smartphones l
262、ess affordable in India.27 Handset affordability and literacy and digital skills are also the most frequently reported barriers preventing men and women in India from owning a mobile phone.Womens digital inclusion is also impacted by social norms that limit their access to,and use of,mobile phones.2
263、8 Recognising and addressing these norms is also important to increasing womens mobile internet adoption in India.Addressing the smartphone gender gap is also likely to have a positive impact on the countrys wide mobile internet gender gap.This is key given that only 48%of men and 29%of women in Ind
264、ia own a smartphone.Once women own a smartphone,they are just as likely as men to be aware of mobile internet and use it to a similar extent.27.See,for example,The Economist.(2023).“Indias rocketing internet user growth has stalled”and BBC News.(2023).“Why internet growth has stalled in India”.28.Fo
265、r more information,see GSMA.(5 January 2023).“Tackling social norms to reduce the gender digital divide”and GSMA.(2017).Triggering mobile internet use among men and women in South Asia.45The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202346The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202346The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Understand
266、ing womens mobile useTo ensure women can use mobile internet to meet their needs and reap the full benefits,it is important to look beyond mobile internet adoption.Even once women are online,they often face barriers to using mobile internet as frequently or for the same range of use cases as men.As
267、a result,there are gender gaps in mobile use that mean women are not able to benefit from mobile internet services to the same extent as men.Most men and women who use mobile internet access it every dayEncouragingly,more than 85%of male and female mobile internet users in all survey countries are u
268、sing it at least once a week and more than half of mobile internet users also access it daily,suggesting that they find it useful and relevant to their lives.However,in most survey countries,fewer female than male mobile internet users access mobile internet on a daily basis.This gender gap is wides
269、t in Senegal where female mobile internet users are 11%less likely than their male counterparts to use it every day.47The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Women tend to use their mobile phones for a narrower range of activities than men on a weekly basisThere are also gender gaps in the use of mobile se
270、rvices,with female mobile owners using their mobile for a less diverse range of use cases.Mobile owners were asked about 23 distinct mobile use cases,including basic mobile services,such as sending SMS messages and making voice calls,through to more complex,internet-based use cases,such as watching
271、videos online(see Appendix 2).In all 12 survey countries,women mobile owners continue to use fewer of these use cases than men(see Figure 17).For instance,in 2022,male mobile owners in Guatemala were performing 8.8 mobile use cases per week on average,compared to 6.8 per week for female owners.In se
272、veral survey countries,there also appears to be a reduction in the number of use cases that male and female mobile owners report using over the last year(see Figure 17).For example,there were large drops in the proportion of male and female mobile owners who used mobile for health,government service
273、s,job applications and education.This is likely a result of pandemic restrictions ending and these activities returning to face-to-face interactions.In contrast,male and female mobile owners in Egypt have increased the number of use cases they perform weekly since 2021.This growth is highly correlat
274、ed with the increase in smartphone ownership and mobile internet adoption in the country,and highlights how these two metrics promote wider mobile use for men and women and enable them to meet more of their needs.47The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202348The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 17 Average
275、 number of mobile use cases performed by male and female mobile owners per week,20222EgyptMale7.88.7Female7.57.7EthiopiaMale3.5Female2.3GhanaMale7.4Female5.9KenyaMale7.56.8Female5.05.1NigeriaMale6.46.8Female4.8SenegalMale6.87.3Female5.65.8BangladeshMale5.95.0Female3.9IndiaMale7.36.3Female
276、5.14.3IndonesiaMale7.56.5Female7.06.1PakistanMale4.54.8Female3.83.7GuatemalaMale8.68.8Female7.86.8MexicoMale10.79.6Female10.19.54.64.3Source:GSMA Consumer Surveys 2021 and 2022 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 t
277、hat 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 reflec
278、t only those use cases performed on a mobile device.n=269 to 720 for women and n=385 to 973 for men29.See Figures 28 and 30 in GSMA.(2022).The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2022.49The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Female mobile owners spend less on mobile services than male mobile ownersAcros
279、s LMICs the gender gap in spending on mobile services is 18%.This means that,on average,female mobile owners spend 18%less on mobile services than male mobile owners(see Figure 18).This gap is widest in Sub-Saharan Africa(32%)where mobile data and services are least affordable.29 The gender gap in m
280、obile services spending is significant in every region even when other mobile gender gaps are relatively low.For example,in Latin America and the Caribbean,the mobile ownership gender gap is 2%(see Figure 1),but the gender gap in spending is 20%(see Figure 18).Given womens lower levels of employment
281、,income and financial autonomy,this gender gap in spending is perhaps unsurprising.However,it emphasises that even when women own a mobile phone,their usage is not comparable to men.Addressing this gap will require tackling both the structural inequalities that limit womens income and employment,as
282、well as the barriers women face to using mobile services,which would include making mobile services more affordable.It is important to understand this spending gap and ensure that women can use mobile services to the same extent as men.Closing this gap is also an important commercial opportunity for
283、 the mobile industry.Of the estimated$230 billion that the mobile industry would see if the mobile gender gap closed by 2030,approximately 85%(about$195 billion)would come from closing the gender gap in mobile services spending alone.This indicates that the vast majority would be derived from closin
284、g the gender gap in mobile use.Figure 18 Gender gaps in mobile services spending across LMICs,by region Overall LMICs18%Sub-SaharanAfrica32%South Asia23%Middle East&North Africa23%Latin America&Caribbean20%Europe&Central Asia19%East Asia&Pacific18%Source:GSMA Intelligence,2023The gender gap in spend
285、ing refers to how much less a woman,on average,spends than a man on mobile services.Regional averages were calculated from country-level data.Based on survey results and modelled data for adults aged 18+.50The Mobile Gender Gap Report 202330.GSMA Connected Women.(2020).“Top 10 recommendations for re
286、aching women with mobile across low-and middle-income countries”in Reaching 50 Million Women with Mobile:A Practical Guide.31.GSMA Connected Women.(2022).Policy considerations to accelerate digital inclusion for women in low-and middle-income countries.50The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Recommendati
287、onsThis years data is a clear call to action to do more to ensure no one is left behind in an increasingly digital world.The unfortunate reality is that with the rate of digital inclusion slowing across LMICs,more effort and focus will be needed to address the digital divide.Women in particular are
288、being left behind a challenge that must be met head on to ensure that women,their communities and the broader economy reap the significant benefits of being connected.In 2022,the mobile internet gender gap was substantial and not reducing,indicating that it will not close on its own.If the mobile in
289、ternet gender gap remains unchanged,forecasts suggest that only 360 million more women in LMICs will adopt it by 2030(compared to 490 million more men).To close the gap by then,another 450 million women would need to start using it.This means a total of 810 million women would need to adopt mobile i
290、nternet by 2030,equivalent to 100 million women on average every year.This stubborn gender gap not only reflects existing gender inequalities,but also threatens to exacerbate them,particularly as economies suffer in the current economic crisis and mobile becomes less affordable.It is only with the c
291、oncerted action and collaboration of different stakeholders that we can truly accelerate progress on this issue.The following recommendations are for four types of organisations:mobile network operators(MNOs),internet companies,policymakers and regulators and the development community(see Figure 19)
292、.This list is not comprehensive,and actions to address structural barriers such as income gaps,education disparities and restrictive social norms that underpin the mobile gender gap,also need to be tackled.More detailed recommendations for MNOs and other organisations can be found in the GSMA Connec
293、ted Women report,Reaching 50 Million Women with Mobile:A Practical Guide.30 For governments and policymakers,more detailed recommendations for closing the mobile gender gap can be found in the GSMA Connected Women report,Policy considerations to accelerate digital inclusion for women in low-and midd
294、le-income countries.31 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO CLOSE THE MOBILE GENDER GAPEnsure there is a focus on gender equality and reaching women at an organisational and policy level,with senior leaders championing the issue and setting specific gender equity targets.Understand the mobile gen
295、der gap by improving the quality and availability of gender-disaggregated data and understanding womens needs and the barriers they face to mobile ownership and use.Explicitly address womens needs,circumstances and challenges in the design and implementation of mobile-related products,services,inter
296、ventions and policies.This includes addressing the barriers women face related to affordability,knowledge and digital skills,safety and security,and access and availability of relevant content,products and services.Collaborate and partner with different stakeholders to address the mobile gender gap.
297、Targeted intervention is needed from industry,policymakers,the development community and other stakeholders to ensure that women are no longer left behind.51The Mobile Gender Gap Report 20235352The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Figure 19 Recommendations for closing th
298、e mobile gender gap in LMICs,by stakeholder type and barrier addressedBarrier addressed by the actionAffordabilityKnowledge and digital skillsSafety and securityAccessRelevanceMobile operatorsSupport industry efforts to lower the cost of internet-enabled mobile phones,especially smartphones.E.g.Crea
299、te partnerships to offer entry-level smartphones or smart feature phones to customers at a reduced cost.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.Develop c
300、lear and transparent pricing for credit and data and introduce more creative pricing to appeal to price-sensitive customers.E.g.Encourage low-cost or free trials of mobile internet services through promotional deals or extend the length of data packages.Improve customers digital skills,including ass
301、isting new users who may need additional support,and pay attention to womens 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 Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit(MISTT).32Consider providin
302、g incentives for womens social networks to teach them how to use mobile handsets and services.E.g.Leverage the knowledge and digital skills of existing customers,friends and family,savings groups,community groups,etc.Develop mobile apps and services that can help increase safety for women.E.g.Develo
303、p intuitive safety services like apps to help women alert contacts in an emergency or use call-blocking services.Consider the role of gatekeepers in facilitating womens mobile ownership and use.E.g.Demonstrate through marketing the value of women having access to a mobile phone and mobile internet.E
304、nsure 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.Ensure marketing and serv
305、ices are accessible for women and those with lower literacy,digital skills and awareness and understanding of the internet.E.g.Offer content and advertising in local languages through channels that are accessible to women.Use simple messaging,avoid technical jargon and consider the use of pictures,i
306、cons and videos.Communicate the relevance of mobile ownership and mobile internet use in womens 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.Internet companiesP
307、artner with MNOs to address handset affordability.E.g.Offer subsidies for low-cost smartphones to encourage mobile internet adoption.Consider how to adapt products and services to make them more affordable without compromising quality.E.g.Make“data-light”versions of apps or lightweight operating sys
308、tems to help reduce costs for more price-sensitive users.Implement digital skills training,paying attention to womens needs,interests and circumstances.E.g.Through partnerships or via products and services.Help women to navigate the internet confidently and safely and to feel secure and in control w
309、hen using mobile apps and services.E.g.Provide training in how to avoid and respond 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 apps,services and other measures to help women
310、 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.Ensure mobile apps and operating systems are accessible for women who are less confident and have fewer
311、 literacy skills.E.g.Consider local languages,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.Develop and incorporate tools to improve the usability of di
312、gital services for women with low literacy levels or who only speak their local language.E.g.Integrate voice search,chatbots or text to speech.Understand and incorporate the content,features,channels and services that women in your market find useful and relevant.E.g.Make relevant video content in l
313、ocal languages more available and accessible.Policymakers and regulators33Ensure policies and regulations help to lower the cost of handsets and data for consumers,which will likely disproportionately benefit women.E.g.Review and remove sector-specific taxes and fees for handsets and data.For exampl
314、e,import taxes that treat handsets as luxury items,excise duties on data charges and SIM registration and taxes on social media use.Adopt policies and regulations that help users,especially women,improve their ability to pay for handsets,data and other services.E.g.Enable innovative financing mechan
315、isms for handsets,such as facilitating greater access to credit to enable women to cover the upfront cost of mobile handsets.Consider subsidy programmes to help make handsets and data services more affordable.E.g.Design subsidy programmes targeted at underserved women.Address wider policy and regula
316、tory barriers that are discriminatory to women accessing financing and impede their ability to afford handsets and data.E.g.Review and revise regulations and laws(e.g.,inheritance,property,equal pay for work of equal value laws)that affect womens access to finance and ability to secure credit.Develo
317、p and deliver digital skills training programmes that meet womens preferences for what and how they want to learn.E.g.Identify groups of women to target,understand their needs and goals and ensure training includes a focus on mobile given the mobile-first nature of access for many.Invest in public e
318、ducation and digital literacy initiatives that improve the confidence and digital skills of women and girls.E.g.Mainstream basic mobile and digital skills in school curricula,with particular attention to meeting the interests and advancement of women and girls of all ages,levels of education,income
319、and familiarity with mobile internet.Raise awareness of the threats preventing women and girls from accessing and using the internet and how these threats can be addressed or reduced.E.g.Public awareness campaigns,investing in digital literacy programmes and formal education programmes/curriculum th
320、at target both men and women.Strengthen measures to protect women against internet-related abuse and harassment.E.g.Review existing legal and policy frameworks to ensure they recognise digital harassment and fraud and make it easy and safe to report online abuse.Encourage the development and uptake
321、of apps and services that make it safer for women to access and use the internet.Create an enabling policy and regulatory environment to help women purchase and access mobile services.E.g.Review Know Your Customer(KYC)requirements,ID registration policy and mobile agent recruitment regulation to ens
322、ure they do not exclude women.Ensure mobile-related sales,access and training facilities are accessible for women as well as men.E.g.Ensure regulation does not unintentionally exclude women from becoming agents.Ensure digital government services are accessible for those with lower literacy and digit
323、al skills.E.g.Provide an interactive voice response(IVR)helpline,use simple terminology,local languages,icons,symbols,pictures,videos and comic-style stories in addition to(or instead of)text.Raise awareness of the benefits of mobile for women to help address social norms that restrict womens mobile
324、 access and use.E.g.Challenge misconceptions and help gatekeepers understand the benefits of mobile for women.Raise awareness of mobile internet-enabled content,apps and services and how they can be relevant to womens lives.E.g.Promote the life-changing benefits of mobile internet via relevant chann
325、els,including local radio stations and local extension workers to support the government in the delivery of basic services.Create an enabling environment that supports the development of content,apps and services that meet womens needs.E.g.Support businesses and start-ups to develop inclusive soluti
326、ons with and for women.Ensure that digital public services are developed to meet the needs of women.E.g.Consult and engage diverse groups of women when designing and testing government content,apps and services.Development communityPartner with and support the mobile ecosystem on projects that promo
327、te affordable handsets.E.g.Provide handset financing schemes through local NGO networks and grassroots networks that are led by women,such as womens savings groups.Fund and/or facilitate mobile-based digital literacy training for women.E.g.Use trusted local community and peer networks to deliver dig
328、ital skills training to women,potentially in partnership with an MNO.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
329、initiatives to increase womens access to and use of mobile phones and mobile internet.Also consider how mainstream projects and interventions can be adapted to advance digital inclusion for women.Raise awareness of the barriers to womens mobile ownership and use and advocate for stakeholders to take
330、 action to address the mobile gender gap.Work to address the negative influence of social norms.This includes those that restrict womens access to mobile technology by challenging misconceptions and demonstrating the positive and relevant use cases of mobile.33.More detailed recommendations on how p
331、olicymakers can increase mobile adoption more broadly among the undeserved can be found here:Accelerating mobile internet adoption:Policy considerations to bridge the digital divide in low-and middle-income countries.32.GSMA Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit(MISTT).54The Mobile Gender Gap Repo
332、rt 202334.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 and Table 2)were calculated by averaging country-le
333、vel data for the 12 countries surveyed.54The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023Appendix 1:Barriers to mobile ownership and mobile internet adoptionIn each of the 12 survey countries:1.Respondents who did not own a mobile phone were asked to identify the barriers preventing them from owning one.2.Respondents who used a mobile phone and were aware of mobile internet but had not used it in the past three