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The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2019

Explore insights and data from the 2019 edition of this flagship report, examining barriers to women’s access to and use of mobile services.

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), 250 million more women now own a mobile phone than in 2014. But the mobile gender gap persists. Women are still 10% less likely than men to own a mobile and 23% less likely to use mobile internet. More must be done to address this divide to ensure women do not get left behind.

The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2019 reveals how the mobile gender gap is changing in LMICs, as well as ranking the factors preventing equal mobile ownership and mobile internet use for men and women, and outlining the commercial and economic opportunity that closing the mobile gender gap represents.

Findings from this report are based on the results of over 20,000 face-to-face surveys commissioned by GSMA Intelligence across 18 low- and middle-income countries, and subsequent modelling and analysis of this survey data.

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Regional Resources

The mobile gender gap in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has one of the widest mobile gender gaps of any region. In this fact sheet learn the key mobile gender gap statistics, the top barriers to mobile ownership and mobile internet use, and the actions needed to close the mobile gender gap in SSA.
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The mobile gender gap in Asia

The mobile gender gap varies greatly across Asia. South Asia has the largest mobile gender gap of any region worldwide, while the most digitally mature LMICs in East Asia & Pacific have more equal levels of mobile ownership and use. In this fact sheet learn the key mobile gender gap statistics, the top barriers to mobile ownership and mobile internet use, and the actions needed to close the mobile gender gap in Asia.
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Report launch webinar recording

In our recent webinar entitled, ‘Understanding the Mobile Gender Gap in 2019’, Oliver Rowntree, Senior Insights Manager for the Connected Women programme and author of the report, shares the main findings, analysis and recommendations. Recordings are also available in French and Spanish.

Download previous reports and resources

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The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2019 has been ranked in the top 3 of the best free mobile tech reports in 2019 by IT Research Finder.

The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2019 has been ranked in the top 3 of the best free mobile tech reports in 2019 by IT Research Finder.

The Connected Women programme is funded by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA) and is supported by the GSMA and its members. The programme’s research and work is also funded by the Gates Foundation.

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