Girl Effect released a recent report (Real Girls, Real Lives, Connected: A global study of girls’ access and usage of mobile internet) that looks at gender discrepancies in cell phone access and use. Research included 3000 surveys of both girls and boys. Some surveys were online; 1,371 were in person interviews. This is an international survey. It would be interesting to see a US, or Minnesota survey, but the US is included in the survey. However, in the Digital Equity Plans, the NTIA is asking each state to address the needs of “covered populations”, which includes: Immigrants, Individuals with a language barrier and Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group, which makes this report on international views is especially valuable.

Here are some of their findings:

• For girls, access is much more diverse and colourful than simply whether they ‘have’ or ‘have not’ got a phone. Access is often transient, and diverse ownership, borrowership and sharing practices are flourishing
• Boys are 1.5 times more likely to own a phone and 1.8 times more likely to own a smartphone. They’re also more likely to use phones in more diverse and internet-enabled ways than girls
• Girls are going to great lengths to gain access. They are active agents in achieving their own access, and in some cases have ‘secret phones’
• Affordability can be a major barrier for girls and boys; however, girls often face a range of social barriers which can overtake affordability as an issue
• Phones, apps and digital platforms are not currently designed for the ways in which girls use them (which includes shared use and borrowing) or might want to use them in future

The report pulls out statistics and looks at context around the findings by talking to experts. It also includes comments from survey takers:

• After buying a mobile phone I have been able to do a lot of good stuff. I do online exams, fill in application forms, send emails. If I have to travel I find out about the train times. In case I get stuck anywhere, then I contact my family members to tell them that I am stuck at that place. I do a lot of good things on a mobile phone, like studying and using the dictionary. (Girl, 18, India)
• [Girls] do not have parent’s permission, do not have relative’s permission… parent’s national identity card [is] needed for SIM registration that’s why they can’t use a mobile phone. (Girl, 18, Bangladesh)
• Truly I don’t know how to make of smartphone, I don’t know how to check the content inside the phone so as to know the one which is preferable to me. (Girl, 17, Nigeria)