By Joseph Ram
Two thirds of the world’s population lives or works in developing countries and the overwhelming majority of them are women. Under-served communities lacking infrastructure often have the most to gain from innovations in mobile technology. For many women in emerging areas throughout Latin America, smartphones have helped to free them from the cycle of poverty, abuse, and lack of education. Gaining global Internet access, previously unavailable with most feature phones (think: basic phones without broadband access), empowers women to access information, work opportunities, social and health services, and education previously unavailable to them.
A recent study by GSMA showed that across the globe a woman is still 21% less likely to own a mobile phone than a man and closing this gender gap would bring the benefits of mobile phones to an additional 300 million women. That’s nearly the entire population of the United States.
Smartphones can provide the ability to access educational resources, build skills, improve health and well-being and find employment opportunities. In many cases, it also empowers women to conduct their own home-based businesses, stay connected with colleagues and customers and become active participants in an economic ecosystem. Many women in developing nations do not work or do not have jobs outside of the home – connectivity can change this.
My company, verykool, entered Latin America with a mission to make mobile devices accessible to everyone. Our goal was – and is – to bring down prices without compromising quality or functionality. For those living in developing nations, the smartphone is often a user’s first and only internet-connected device. With continuously enhanced technology paired with affordability, people around the world who previously did not have the means to afford a computing device, can now own one that fits in their pocket.
Through our presence in Latin America, we felt we were delivering on an important need in the market, though we didn’t realize the magnitude of impact that making cellphone ownership affordable could have on a country’s economy, the success of a business or on an individual’s life – especially for women.
Recognizing the positive individual and social impact mobile technology can make, several organizations have stepped up to increase its awareness and adoption. For example, Techchicas.com was founded to help Latin American women discover the benefits that technology can bring. The website, written by and for Latin American women, has a stated goal to help reduce the fear of technology while demonstrating how it can better women’s lives. The site features reviews of devices and apps, as well as articles focused on helping readers realize they are losing time and money if they are not using technology to their advantage. Techchicas.com wants to change the thinking of Latin American women toward technology – showing them how technology can assist at home and work, as well as with child and personal care.
Most web development companies have taken notice of the trend of cellphone ownership over computer ownership and optimized their output – be it apps or websites – for mobile as mobile users have different needs and behaviors. According to McKinsey & Company, “61 percent of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing.” A woman’s use of mobile broadband will of course vary from location to location, and as their usage and accessibility numbers increase, their needs will change, presenting huge opportunities for the global tech community. Providing access to content presents endless opportunity to the end user.
At the 2015 C2 Montreal summit, communications executive Rangu Salgame noted that rapidly dropping smartphone prices mean three-quarters of the world’s population probably will own one by 2025, a reality that will bring seismic change politically, economically and socially. Improving affordability will inexplicably benefit women and help to close the gender gap in mobile phone ownership.
March is Women’s History Month, and on March 8th we celebrated International Women’s Day. It is important for us all to acknowledge how valuable women are at work, at home, in our communities, and abroad. We at verykool will continue to empower women with connectivity, because connectivity means opportunity. It is undeniable that empowered women create our future and transform our world.