Indian Women's Lives Improved By Mobile Phones

Who Countries ASIA: Indian Women's Lives Improved By Mobile Phones

According to the New York Times, researchers have started looking at the effect that the mobile phone explosion in India has had on the country’s women, and they are finding that it’s having a positive impact on their lives. With greater penetration than land lines, readily available and fairly affordable mobile phones are allowing Indian women to establish themselves as entrepreneurs and to maintain ties with loved ones.

There are at least 700 million mobile phone subscribers in India (compared to only 97 million regular internet users)

28% of Indian women own mobile phones (compared to 40% of men), with an additional 20% having access through friends or family

“I had never been outside of Karnal, away from my family, my friends. Their calls and advice made me feel less lonely in a new world.” — Garima Gupta, 22

MOBILE PHONES EMPOWER WOMEN

Nearly 35% of Indian women are illiterate, making phones their primary option for long-distance communication

Indian women are often forced to leave their hometowns when they marry, but mobile phones allow them to stay in touch with family

Many rural areas don’t have land lines, leaving mobile phones as the only way to contact the outside world

Mobile phones are helping Indian women to successfully own and run their own businesses

Phones are now being used as a part of initiatives like one in Gujarat, where rural health care workers send pregnant patients text message reminders for vaccinations and check-ups

“Mobile phones significantly decrease tolerance for wife beating and husbands’ control issues, and increase women’s autonomy in mobility and economic independence.” — Dayoung Lee, a student researcher at Stanford University

The phones are still harder to come by for low-income families and low-wage earners. In many cases, an entire family will share one phone owned by the male head of household.

Read the full New York Times article here