Examining Gender Dimensions to Mobile Broadband Connection in Uganda

Today the biggest market share by telecom companies in Uganda are taken by MTN Uganda and Airtel at 46 to 44% respectively. Uganda has close to five telecommunications operators. The dominant telecoms are MTN and Airtel with over 10.7 and 10.2 million users in that corresponding order. The National IT Survey 2017/2018 report by the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) revealed that 70.9 per cent of Ugandans own mobile phones as compared to the 52.3 per cent figure in 2014 by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). Despite these figures, the way women and girls connect online and use the internet is not the same how their male counterparts do according to recent reports. This means that initiatives by telecom operators to target Ugandans on the basis that everyone benefits from their packages and or promotions are flawed. Targeting everyone with telecommunication packages may not necessarily benefit all persons equally due to gender-specific constraints that certain groups face in society.

It should be noted that some 327 million fewer women than men worldwide have a smart phone and can access a mobile phone and yet, women are on average 26% less likely than men to have a phone to connect to the internet. More importantly, even though more awareness raising has been done at the level of promoting access, reducing barriers to access such as affordability and fighting socio-cultural stereotypes among others, the private sector engagement in the process to narrow the gender digital divide is still wanting.

While many telecommunication companies pursue corporate social responsibility (CSR), most of the CSR are driven by motivation to invest where returns are likely to be high and these have often concentrated in urban areas that fetch huge returns in profits compared to rural areas further widening the gap between urban and rural areas. Sustainable Development Goals on women and technology provide an historic opportunity for Uganda to close the digital gender divide and thus, the meaningful contribution that telecommunication companies and other private sector-led entities is crucial. The Sustainable Development Goals commit UN member states to achieve universal internet access by 2020 (Goal 9c) and to implement policies to empower women through technology (Goal 5b). Beyond these important targets, access to information and communication technology (ICT) is also critical to achieving other SDGs, such as: Goal 4: achieving quality education.

A 2017 report by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) observes that women’s ability to gain meaningful internet access is constrained by several factors including location, economic power, age, gender, societal and cultural norms and education among others and these discrimination and disparity translates and exacerbates the specific gender based challenges that prevents access to the internet as a productive resource. Therefore, the recognition of such specific gender based challenges by telecom companies and the private sector can go a long way in bridging the gender digital divide. This in turn opens the gate for opportunities to do business with new mobile users who ultimately and eventually subscribes for instance, to these networks hence increasing their customer base.

It’s not yet clear how easy is to engage telecommunication companies in Uganda to addressing specific gender challenges. Yet and despite this difficulty, many Ugandans continue to join the mobile networks. Finding ways to enhance their meaningful enjoyment of the opportunities in broadband connection is key.  In a report commissioned by the Association for Progressive Communications and conducted by the Women of Uganda Network, 97% of women interviewed said that they use mobile phones as their primary means of accessing internet with 50% using WhatsApp. If both the telecom companies and private sector needs to contribute to narrowing the gender digital divide which inadvertently increases their market share and profits due to new subscribers to their networks, then they ought to meaningfully engage in processes that contributes to such discussions. Peace Oliver Amuge, Program Manager at the Women of Uganda Network believes that “Telecos and private sectors do not seem to notice gender issues as a key concept of empowerment” and thus “may not encounter conversations around gender that informs their business drive and motivations”.

Despite efforts to ensure the telecoms and private sector engage in conversations around gender and meaningfully contribute towards narrowing the gender digital divide, several constraints hinder the attainment of this goal. The internet access in Uganda is arguably one of the most expensive in the region costing on average nearly 16% of a person’s income. The Alliance 4 Affordable internet (A4AI) believes that for internet to be said to be affordable, 1GB of internet data should cost less than 2% of a person’s monthly income. Out of the work of the Alliance 4 Affordable internet in Africa, only 10 out of 45 countries surveyed in their report have affordable internet. In Africa 1 GB of data on average cost nearly 7.1% of a person’s monthly income. The report suggests strategies to lower cost of broadband connectivity including ensuring competitive broadband markets, affordable infrastructures and diversifying connectivity among diverse groups.

Women Rights activists in Uganda believes in the importance of dialogue and conversations around topics such as gender with private sectors and telecoms. This is important as it helps to clarify  the extent of the problems of gender any society grapples with. “Human rights discussions always ignore concerns around gender and even with telecos, the degree to which women’s perspectives feature in their policy priorities are always lacking” which means that such policies will lack “gender sensitive indicators” to track progress and implementation says Sandra Aceng, the Coordinator of the Women in ICT Policy Advocacy Group.

The 2018 report of the OECD written on behalf of the G20 notes that coordinated policy actions on narrowing the gender digital divide is key and should focus on awareness raising, making the internet more affordable and ensuring stronger cooperation among stakeholder groups. The private sector since they are the biggest profiteers in this case, should deepen their engagement and their CSR should be directed at efforts that promotes dialogue and conversations around gender digital divide. For MTN Uganda and Airtel, among other telecoms operating in Uganda, their data plans are not gender sensitive and do not benefit women the same way for men according to the WOUGNET report. Data plans by telecoms that works for women for instance should:

• Lengthen time to expire so women can use it in their free time
• Is more affordable for women and girls
• Easy to load
• The bundles are unlimited and caters for women multiple work and time constraints
• Bundles should connect to other networks to allow flexibility when women eventually have the time to connect
• Easy to access upcountry or in places where network connections are relatively poor