Strict parents and social stigma limit mobile use for girls in poor countries

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

By Karen McVeigh

Strict parenting and social disapproval are among factors that make teenage girls in developing countries significantly less likely than boys to own a mobile phone, researchers have found.

Limited access to mobile technology also means girls are sharing phones in secret, leaving them more vulnerable to the harmful effects of social media because of their relative inexperience online, according to a survey by Girl Effect and the Vodafone Foundation.

More than half of the girls interviewed by Girl Effect, a non-profit aimed at empowering adolescent girls, said they had borrowed devices from friends, brothers or parents.

Photo courtesy of WorldFish.

Source: The Guardian (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Technology, Telecommunications
Tags
global development, telecommunications