Freedom within a cage: how patriarchal gender norms limit women's use of mobile phones in rural central India.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

India has one of the highest gender gaps in mobile phone access in the world. As employment opportunities, health messaging (mHealth), access to government entitlements, banking, civic participation and social engagement increasingly take place in the digital sphere, this gender gap risks further exacerbating women's disadvantage in Indian society. This study identifies the factors driving women's unequal use of phones in rural Madhya Pradesh, India.

Methods

We interviewed mothers of 1-year-old children (n=29) who reported that they had at least some access to a mobile phone. Whenever possible, we also spoke to their husbands (n=23) and extended family members (n=34) through interviews or family group discussions about the use of phones in their households, as w

SUBMITTER: Scott K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8461288 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature