Topline Research Findings: Fulfilment for BOP is defined by family role

Per Helmersen shares the topline findings from the initial stage of the GSMA mWomen Research into the Wants and Needs of BOP Women. The study was commissioned in June and is being carried out in partnership with USAID and AusAID to explore the wants and needs of underserved BOP women with the understanding that mobile solutions must meet the need, rather than vice-versa. Focusing on urban and rural women in India, Egypt, Papua New Guinea and Uganda, the research team presented initial findings from the qualitative stage at a recent Working Group meeting in Colombo and is rapidly nearing completion of the final quantitative survey stage. The full research report will be released at Mobile World Congress. Per writes:

The first qualitative stage of the research has proved extremely interesting. Relying on a mix of ethnography-inspired approaches, the qualitative studies aim to better understand BOP women’s day-to-day lives, exposure to information on health, education, finance and entrepreneurship, and the primary information channels (both formal and informal) that women have access to and trust in their local environments. The studies have also captured women’s experiences using mobile handsets, focusing on features and functionality, usage habits, preferred value added services and works to the understand the often complex cultural norms related to women’s use of mobile technology.

“Make sure that our voices are heard”

Spending time with women in local environments and in their homes while documenting their daily routines provides unique insights into not only how they organize their lives, but also the challenges and barriers encountered and how these are dealt with. By means of day-in-the-life observations, researchers have the opportunity to generate more detailed insights through extended and unstructured dialogues with women as they go about their daily activities, frequently becoming ‘participants’ in unanticipated yet highly informative events in their homes. Focus group discussions with groups of women (and men) subsequently allow researchers to explore central issues through conversations with community members. You may wonder how our respondents react to the presence of a research team and our interest in their private lives. One of our respondents in Papua New Guinea put it this way: “I’ve waited for so long for people like you to come so that I can share my struggles, will there be any benefit from this, make sure that our voices are heard and something can be done about it?” Another lady said, “It is good because we can tell you how we feel and what hurts us, especially with the struggles of life with our parents, in-laws, husbands and children in connection with mobiles.”

Topline findings from the qualitative research in all four markets include the following:

  • The main source of fulfillment and source of aspirations for the majority of the women we studied in all four markets – rural as well as urban – is defined by her role as a daughter, wife/mother and daughter-in-law. There are indications that urban BOP women in all four markets are in transition from traditional values and norms towards a lifestyle characteristic of the emerging middle class. However, it is also realistic to assume that the transition will be completed by their daughters and granddaughters rather than their mothers.
  • Education for their children – both boys and girls – is the main priority among BOP women. They are willing to make significant sacrifices to provide offspring with the best available education, preferably in private rather than public/government schools. Women see this as the key to a better life and richer opportunities for their daughters. Men are generally supportive.


Women see education for their children – both boys & girls – as a priority

  • Aspirations, needs and pain points of BOP women need to be framed within an understanding of the local family context (nuclear, extended, etc.) and within a cultural context in order to be truly meaningful. This is especially important in trying to design mobile-based services that address needs and pain points.
  • Aspirations and dreams must also be understood in relation to major life stages:
    • The youngest informants (teens) had dreams: career, marriage to a good husband and mobility/travel. However, many young women recognize that their dreams may be unrealistic, particularly in rural and more tradition-bound locations.
    • Middle- age/child- rearing women aspired to get out of the ‘clutches’ of the in-laws, independence in the form of their own nuclear family, family management, the children’s education at best available institutions and – increasingly – making ends meet in the face of inflation.
    • Mature women hoped for: helping their children (daughters) and following up on their lives at a distance, primarily through financial aid.
  • There are different challenges and pain points in urban and rural locations.
    • Rural: access to services is the main challenge. However, nutrition is not a major problem for women who own or have access to land.
    • Urban: Access to high quality food at affordable prices is a major challenge, leading to poor nutrition and associated health problems. Further, the casheconomy requires employment. Access to day labour opportunities is also a priority for the unskilled and uneducated in urban areas.

Mobile as a tool for BOP women

  • In general, mobile use by BOP women (and to a slightly lesser extent, men) seems to be driven by practical, utility-oriented needs such as family coordination and emergencies rather than the desire to socialize and ‘chat’. Chatting in most communities was seen to be linked to face-to-face physical proximity in social settings. Thus the mobile phone does not seem to have the same impact in this sphere that is has had in more developed markets. For example: messages in Egypt are generally delivered by child messengers and the phone will have to compete with this highly efficient ‘service’.
  • Radio proved to be important as a kill-time feature of the mobile handset, an indication that greater emphasis should be placed on entertainment and infotainment services for women in addition to important life-enhancing services such as mHealth, mAgri, mobile money, etc.
  • Mobile Value Added Services (VAS): Overall, BOP women had limited knowledge of VAS, including limited use of SMS. However, in Papua New Guinea there was an interesting use of utility bill credit transfer from the mobile phone, illustrating the importance of local knowledge and localized service offerings. Significantly, women in India were frequently referred to as the family’s minister of the interior or finance minister, recognized by men as the financial managers in the home. This points towards a mobile service area that could be tailored to meet the needs of BOP women.

These are just a few examples of insights that were captured in the GSMA mWomen qualitative fieldwork. We’ll be sharing more detailed regional insights over the next few weeks.

In addition to confirming and amplifying these findings, the follow-up survey currently being carried out in the same markets will provide us with numbers and, ultimately, segmentation schemes that will allow mobile service providers to reach BOP women with relevant, life-enhancing and affordable offerings.

Do share your thoughts and comments on the findings below.

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