Triggering Mobile Internet Use among Men and Women in South Asia

Adoption and use of mobile internet is far from universal or equitable, with women, those with less education, rural residents, and the economically poor accounting for a disproportionate number of non-users. The increasing economic and social importance of the internet means that disparities in access threaten to entrench and exacerbate inequalities for traditionally marginalised groups. The objective of this study is to investigate how the mobile industry can trigger mobile internet uptake among non-users (particularly women) in South Asia who appear to be economically and technically able to begin using mobile internet. The findings are drawn from qualitative research conducted by GSMA Connected Women and GSMA Connected Society in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

GSMA data show that almost 5.1 billion people worldwide own a SIM card, and 3.8 billion subscribe to mobile internet services. Yet an average of 55% population in South Asia subscribes to mobile internet services, compared to the global average of 67%. South Asia has the widest gender gap in mobile phone access of any region: 38% in 2015.

Conducted in 2017, the research employed several fieldwork methods, including focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, written and photographic pre-tasking (respondents were asked to keep a three-day diary of their mobile phone use), home visits, and retailer visits. This was combined with calls with mobile network operators (MNOs) and expert interviews.

This report focuses exclusively on two segments of the population: "Potential Adopters" (lower- to middle-class people aged 25-35 who are living within 3G coverage and who have a phone, basic literacy, and are not "rejecters" of the internet) and "New Users" (those who have been using mobile internet for 3-12 months and who use it at least weekly).

Key findings:

• Both New Users and Potential Adopters see the internet as a double-edged sword that has the capacity for good when used as a tool for learning, communication, entertainment, and development, but they also believe that it has a negative side: potentially addictive; a waste of time and money; a risk to an individual's safety because of scams, exposure to explicit content, or cyber harassment; and potentially damaging to relationships. For Potential Adopters, the negative side of the web is often more front-of-mind than the positive.
• While all Potential Adopters recognise at least some benefits to using mobile internet, they typically feel that "it isn't for someone like me". They ascribe many positive, aspirational attributes to internet users (as well as a few negative ones), but they do not relate to this image themselves.
• Potential Adopters experience five main barriers to adoption: (i) fear of the negative side of the internet; (ii) lack of affordability (actual and perceived); (iii) lack of need and relevance (actual and perceived); (iv) shortage of confidence and digital skills; and (v) the need for permission from gatekeepers.
• Among Potential Adopters, women face more challenges adopting mobile internet than men, mainly due to social norms. Mobile internet is either denied to women by gatekeepers or may seem less relevant and attainable because women are seen as being vulnerable to threats from the negative side of the web (posing risks to a family's reputation), having a lack of purchasing power, leading busy lives with little free time to learn or use technology, having smaller social circles, and having less confidence in learning digital skills.
• For New Users, connection (chatting and sharing) is the greatest need the internet fulfils, followed by news, entertainment, information, and a range of other online activities.
• Instant messaging and social media are not usually sufficient justification for Potential Adopters to start using the internet, as they can be seen as more frivolous and do not deliver tangible returns on investment in terms of time or money.
• Two key triggers for mobile internet adoption were apparent: (i) "use cases" that have both personal appeal and externally justifiable rational benefits are particularly important for female Potential Adopters and can help persuade gatekeepers that access to mobile internet will benefit the entire household. Examples include video calling (especially for those with family living far away or overseas), learning a productive new skill (e.g., sewing, cooking), helping with their children's education, or anything that benefits the household financially (e.g., agricultural tips, help with work). (ii) use by others in their social circle had a significant and positive influence on adoption for both men and women New Users.

Scattered throughout the report are case studies, such as Dialog Axiata's island-wide programme to reduce the gender gap in mobile and internet use in Sri Lanka. Linked to the GSMA's Connected Women initiative, this is an information and communication technology (ICT) awareness programme designed to reach rural women. By hosting a series of workshops, the programme, which was launched in March 2017, intends to educate women about the benefits of using the internet for personal development and entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as cyber safety. The programmes outline the benefits of digital inclusion for women and explore responsible and safe use of the internet.

The report provides actionable insights and recommendations for MNOs to help Potential Adopters to overcome key barriers and trigger mobile internet adoption in South Asia. In brief:

1. Address negative perceptions of the internet, helping users to feel safe and in control of their online activities while counteracting the "bad press" the internet and social media often attracts.
2. Improve affordability (both actual and perceived) of internet-enabled handsets and data. Ensuring access to smartphones is crucial to drive mobile internet use.
3. Make mobile internet more relevant and for "someone like me" to Potential Adopters, demonstrating the benefits and value for money. The most positive responses were to print ads showing smiling, "normal" people, especially families. The relevance of the internet can be conveyed to women in a very direct way by showing women in ads who look like them.
4. Promote use cases that have both personal appeal and rational, externally justifiable benefits, as these will persuade Potential Adopters to start their mobile internet journey and help women to convince gatekeepers of the benefits of using it.
5. Help build confidence and digital skills, recognising that women may need additional support as they have smaller social circles and therefore fewer people to ask for advice. Consider leveraging agent networks to help provide education and advice.
6. Design products, services, and marketing with a less digitally literate user in mind, making the mobile internet less intimidating and more user-friendly. In advertising, messages need to be clear and transparent (and in the local language) for Potential Adopters to catch the meaning.
7. Leverage social circles, including male gatekeepers, to facilitate greater exposure to (and hence understanding of) mobile internet and to make digital skills easier to acquire and mobile internet more relevant (the more friends and family use the internet, the more people there are to share and connect with). Recognise the need to persuade gatekeepers of how the family will benefit from women accessing mobile internet.

GSMA also notes that policymakers have a role in helping Potential Adopters access the benefits of mobile internet. For example, focused policy intervention and coordination with the mobile industry to improve digital skills, affordability, and online safety (e.g., developing legal and policy frameworks to address online harassment), could help to promote digital inclusion. An example of successful multi-stakeholder cooperation is the Broadband Commission Working Group on the Digital Gender Divide, which developed a set of recommendations for action that policymakers and other stakeholders can take to address the gender gap in internet access and use.