Connected Women - Mobile for Development

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Connected Women

Accelerating digital and financial inclusion for women across low- and middle-income countries.

About us

Our mission is to reduce the gender gap in mobile internet and mobile money services in low- and middle-income countries and unlock significant commercial and socio-economic opportunities. We work with mobile operators and their partners to address the barriers to women accessing and using mobile internet and mobile money services. When women thrive, societies, businesses and economies thrive.

Explore the mobile gender gap

Must-read resources

All our news, reports and research in one place.

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The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2026

Explore the latest research on women’s mobile ownership and mobile internet use across low- and middle-income countries.

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Mobile for Business Knowledge and Skills Guide

Empowering women micro-entrepreneurs to use mobile for business: Lessons from MTN Ghana’s Adwumapa

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Policy considerations to accelerate digital inclusion for women in low- and middle-income countries

See all resources

Explore our work

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The Connected Women Commitment Initiative

Since 2016, more than 50 MNOs have made formal commitments to accelerate women’s digital and financial inclusion, collectively reaching over 90 million women.

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Accelerating Digital and Financial Inclusion

This overview highlights the opportunities and barriers to closing the mobile gender gap, and provides recommendations for addressing them.

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Handset Affordability

Our research, tools and lessons aim to raise awareness of what works to improve handset affordability, so effective approaches can be replicated and scaled to reach underserved populations.

Reaching 50 Million Women with Mobile

Drawing on our research and work with partners across Africa, Asia and Latin America, we have distilled 10 key recommendations for reaching women with mobile.

Read the recommendations

Women Micro-Entrepreneurs

Through research insights and work with our MNO partners, this initiative aims to empower women micro-entrepreneurs through mobile phone products and services.

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Connected Women Life Stories

Mobile technology is transforming the lives of women across low- and middle-income countries. We asked women from around the world to share their stories.

Hear their stories

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Our newsletters

Choose from our full list of programmes and receive regular updates on our work.

The Connected Women programme is currently funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through its Global Research and Technology Development Portfolio, and by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and is supported by the GSMA and its members. The programme’s research and work is also funded by the Gates Foundation.

Logos of “Global Research and Technology Development, Funded by UK Government” with a stylised network graphic, and “Sweden Sverige” beside the Swedish flag, highlighting support for digital humanitarian assistance and Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation.