1、Connected WomenThe M obile Gender Gap Report 2019CONTENTS1. Introduction 22. Key findings 33. Sizing the mobile gender gap 84. The challenge of connecting the unconnected 175. Beyond access: The gender gap in mobile usage and spending 326. The benefits of closing the mobile gender gap 367. Recommend
2、ations 39Appendix 1: Methodology 43Appendix 2: Full data tables 47GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 20191. IntroductionThe importance of addressing the persistent mobile gender gapRecent growth in the mobile industry has driven an unprecedented increase in digital inclusion in low- a
3、nd middle-income countries (LMICs).1 Since 2014, mobile operators have connected 700 million new subscribers and another billion have gained access to the internet through a mobile phone, many for the first time.2 1.7 billion women now own a mobile phone in LMICsand over a billion use mobile interne
4、t. As the reach of mobile grows, it is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for delivering life-enhancing information, services and opportunities to millions who have not had the opportunity to access them before.Despite this growth, mobile ownership still remains far from universal. Across LMICs,
5、 15 per cent of adults still do not own a mobile phone and 45 per cent do not use mobile internet. These individuals tend to belong to the most marginalised groups: they are disproportionately rural, illiterate and older. They are also predominantly female.While mobile phone ownership and mobile int
6、ernet use have increased significantly among women, there is still a persistent gender gap. Womens lower levels of mobile ownership and use not only reflect existing gender inequalities, but also threaten to compound them. If the mobile gender gap is not addressed, women risk being left behind as so
7、cieties and economies digitise.There are several distinct barriers to mobile ownership and use that affect a disproportionate number of women. These impediments to universal mobile connectivity will not be overcome on their own; concerted effort and cooperation will be required to drive digital incl
8、usion for women.It is important for all stakeholders to take action to deliver the significant benefits of mobile and the internet to women, their families, communities and the economy. Mobile can help empower women, making them more connected, safe and able to access information and services. Closi
9、ng the mobile gender gap also represents a significant commercial and economic opportunity.To inform this action, this report presents an update to the findings of previous GSMA research on the mobile gender gap conducted in 2015 and 2018, including: Updated estimates of the size of the gender gap i
10、n mobile ownership and mobile internet use and whether it is closing; The profile of the unconnected and the barriers to mobile ownership and mobile internet use; and For the first time, an estimate of the economic impact of closing the mobile internet gender gap in LMICs,as well as an updated estim
11、ate of the commercial opportunity of closing the mobile gender gap for the mobile industry.The findings are sourced primarily from the 2018 GSMA Intelligence Consumer Survey, which has over 20,000 respondents from 18 LMICs.3 Analysis of other research and data from the GSMA, and from a range of othe
12、r organisations involved in investigating and trackingthe mobile gender gap, was also used to inform the findings of this report.41. This categorisation is based on the World Banks country classification and includes countries the World Bank classifies as low-income, lower-middle income and upper-mi
13、ddle income.2. GSMA Intelligence, Q4 20183. For consistency of analysis, Argentina is included in these 18 countries despite having been classified as High Income by the World Bank in 2018. When results from LMICs are discussed throughout this report, Argentina is included.4. This study drew on repo
14、rts and data from organisations including After Access, Gallup, Pew Global Attitudes and Trends, Intermedia, Alliance for Affordable Internet, Harvard Kennedy School Evidence for Policy Design and others.2. Key findings1. Womens mobile phone ownership has increased significantly in low- and middle-
15、income countries since 2014. The number of women who own a mobile has risen by over 250 million, with 80 per cent of women across these markets now owning a mobile phone.2. Mobile is the primary means of internet access in low- and middle-income countries,particularly for women. 48 per cent of women
16、 in these countries now use mobile internet.3. However, there is a persistent mobile gender gap. Women in low- and middle-income countries are 10 per cent less likely than men to own a mobile, which translates into 197 million fewer women than men owning a mobile phone. As mobile subscriber growth s
17、lows, the gender gap in mobile ownership is not closing.4. Across low- and middle-income countries, 313 million fewer women than men use mobile internet, representing a gender gap of 23 per cent. With uptake of mobile internet growing quickly, there is some evidence that this wide gender gap has nar
18、rowed.5. The mobile gender gap varies by region and country, but is widest in South Asia where women are 28 per cent less likely than men to own a mobile and 58 per cent less likely to use mobile internet.6. Affordability, literacy and digital skills, a perceived lack of relevance, and safety and se
19、curity concerns are the most important barriers to mobile ownership and mobile internet use for women. Affordability, particularly of handsets, is the top barrier to mobile ownership,while literacy and digital skills are the main factors limiting mobile internet use among those who are aware of it.5
20、7. Although awareness of mobile internet is growing in most markets, it remains consistently lower for women than men.8. The mobile gender gap extends beyond ownership and access even when women own a mobile phone, they use a smaller range of mobile services. This is the case across almost all low-
21、and middle-income countries.9. The usage gap is also reflected in mobile spending. Across low- and middle-income countries, female mobile owners spend on average 17 per cent less than men on mobile services.6 This spending gap is evident even in countries where there is not a gender gap in mobile ow
22、nership or mobile internet use. This is an opportunity for operators in all markets to increase ARPU7 by equalising usage.10. Closing the gender gaps in mobile ownership and usage represents an important commercial opportunity for the mobile industry. If mobile operators could close these gender gap
23、s in low- and middle-income countries by 2023, this would provide an estimated additional$140 billion in revenue to the mobile industry over the next five years.11. The GSMA estimates that closing the gender gap in mobile internet use across low- and middle-income countries could add $700 billion in
24、 GDP growth (representing an additional 0.7 per cent of GDP growth) in these countries over the next five years.85. Refers to the top barriers to mobile internet for respondents who had used a mobile phone in the last three months and were aware of mobile internet, but had not used it.6. Refers to s
25、pending among female and male mobile owners.7. Average revenue per user8. GSMA Intelligence modelled estimates380 4823%102817GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2019 GSMA CONNECTED WOMEN THE MOBILE GENDER GAP REPORT 2019IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES: IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COU
26、NTRIES:%of women now own a mobile phoneThis represents an increase of250Mwomen since 2014There remains a gender gap in mobile ownership - women are%of women now use mobile internetand mobile is the primary means of internet access313MMobile ownershipKey barriers for women:1.Affordability2.Literacy a
27、nd skills3.Safety and security4.RelevanceEven for mobileowners, there isa significantMobile internet useKey barriers for women who are aware of mobile internet1.Literacy and skills2.Affordability3.Relevance4.Safety and securityFemale mobile ownersspendless likelythan men to own a mobile197 millionfe
28、wer women own a mobile than menThe mobile gender gap is widest in South Asia where women areless likelyfewer women than men use mobile internetWomen areless likelythan men to use mobile internetAwarenessof mobile internet is growing in most marketsgender gap in usage:Women use a smaller range of mob
29、ile servicesClosing the gender gap in mobile ownership and usage by 2023 would provide an estimatedadditional$140B% lessthan men on mobile services,presenting an opportunity for operators to increase ARPU by equalising usageClosing the gender gap in mobile internet usage by 2023 could add an additio
30、nal$700Bthan men to own a mobileand 57% less likelyto use mobile internetbut remainsconsistently lowerfor womenin revenuefor the mobile industryover 5 yearsin GDP growthin these countries over 5 yearsSource: GSMA 2019. Data is the result of primary research and modellingGSMA CONNECTED WOMEN THE MOBI
31、LE GENDER GAP REPORT 20196Male owners / users (% of male population)Female owners / users (% of female population)DEFINITIONS FOR THIS REPORTGENDER GAPThe gender gap in mobile phone ownership and mobile internet use is calculated using the following formula:ownership / use (%) =Gender gap inMale own
32、ers / 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 a mobile phone that does not require a SIM, and uses it at least once a month. The vast majority of SIM owners als
33、o have sole or main use of a handset (an average of 94 per cent across the sample countries).UNCONNECTED“Unconnected” or “unconnected population” refers to people who are not mobile owners, as defined above.MOBILE INTERNET USERA “mobile internet user” is a person who has used the internet on a mobil
34、e phone at least once in the last three months.9 Mobile internet users do not have to personally own a mobile phone, and therefore can be non-mobile phone owners who use mobile internet by accessing it on someone elses mobile phone.9. Respondents were asked the question: “Have you ever used the inte
35、rnet on a mobile phone? Please think about all the different ways of using the internet on a mobile phone. Just to confirm, people are using the internet on their mobile phones when they do any of the following: visit internet websites (e.g. Google or Amazon), visit social networking websites (e.g.
36、Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Weibo), send emails or instant messages (e.g. WhatsApp, Snapchat, WeChat, LINE) or download apps.” Mobile internet users are those who answered “Yes, I have used the internet on a mobile phone in the last three months.”73. Sizing the mobile gender gapMobile access and use
37、 has grown dramatically in LMICs in recent years, but not equally. A gender gap in both mobile ownership and mobile internet use persists across these markets, and is significantly wider in certain regions, particularly South Asia andSub-Saharan Africa. The mobile gender gap can vary significantly e
38、ven within regions and countries, so it is important for stakeholders to understand it within a local context before taking action to address it.The gender gap in mobile ownershipMore women own mobiles, but there is still a 10 per cent gender gapWith over 250 million more women now owning a mobile p
39、hone in LMICs than in 2014, 80 per cent of women in these markets are now mobile owners. Ownership rates vary between regions, however, with just 62 per cent of women in South Asia owning a mobile (see Figure 1). Across LMICs, women are still 10 per cent less likely than men to own a mobilephone. Th
40、is means that despite ongoing efforts and interventions by the mobile industry and otherstakeholders, which have contributed to significantly increased mobile phone ownership for women,10 the mobile gender gap persists. Reaching the 433 million women in LMICs who are still unconnected will require c
41、oncerted stakeholder effort and coordination.10. 44 million additional women became mobile owners in LMICs between 2017 and 2018, with female unique subscriber penetration increasing from 79 per cent to 80 per cent.8010433mFigure 1Gender gap in mobile ownership in low- and middle-income countries, b
42、y regionBase: Total adult populationOVERALLMiddle East & North Africa809Europe & Central Asia90-2 17m25m East Asia &Pacific93Latin America & Caribbean861 31mSub-SaharanAfrica6915 86mSouth Asia6228219m1 54mGender gap-2% 58%Source: GSMA Intelligence, 2018The gender gap refers to how much less likely a
43、 woman is to own a mobile than a man.Mobile ownership is defined as having sole or main use of a SIM card (or a mobile phone that does not require a SIM), and using it at least once a month.Based on survey results and modelled data for adults aged 18+.9Women unconnectedGender gap in mobile ownership
44、Mobile ownership rate for women10Between 2017 and 2018, the overall gender gap in mobile ownership in LMICs remained static, with only minimal changes on a regional level (see Figure 2).While it may not be possible to detect meaningful change over just one year, a review of a range of third- party l
45、ongitudinal gender-disaggregated datasetson mobile ownership also found little evidence thatthe gender gap in mobile ownership is shrinking, at either a country or regional level.11 A variety of sources also showed considerable variation andvolatility in country-level mobile gender gaps year on year
46、. Overall, there is little evidence that the mobile ownership gender gap has narrowed significantly in LMICs over the last five years.Figure 2Gender gap in mobile ownership by region, 2017 versus 2018Base: Total population in low- and middle-income countriesLatin America & CaribbeanEast Asia & Pacif
47、icEurope & Central Asia211-2-1OVERALLMiddle East & North AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaSouth Asia 28 27 2018 2017Source: GSMA Intelligence, 2018The 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 card (or a mob
48、ile phone that does not require a SIM), and using it at least once a month. Regional averages were calculated from country-level data.Based on survey results and modelled data for adults aged 18+.11. Data sets reviewed to determine this included After Access, Financial Inclusion Insights (FII) by Intermedia, Gallup World Poll and Pew Global Attitudes and Trends. For more details on the approach we used for this review, see Appendix 1.18 9151510
