MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA Connected Women GSMA Connected Women works with mobile network operators and their partners to reduce the gender gap in connectivity and improve access to mobile money services by overcoming barriers to women’s ownership and use of mobile phones. Progress in this area will deliver substantial socio-economic benefits for women, business and the wider economy. The initiative also promotes greater inclusion of women as employees and leaders in the mobile industry. For more information, please visit the GSMA Connected Women website: www.gsma.com/connectedwomen Follow GSMA Connected Women on Twitter: @GSMAm4d #ConnectedWomen MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR LIRNEasia is a pro-poor, pro-market think tank active across the Asia Pacific. Its mission is: Catalyzing policy change through research to improve people’s lives in the emerging Asia Pacific by facilitating their use of hard and soft infrastructures through the use of knowledge, information and technology. In Myanmar, LIRNEasia is conducting an impact evaluation of mobile phone roll-out, providing evidence-based input into the telecom sector reforms taking place in the country, as well as capacity building of regulators, policy makers and civil society. More information can be found at www.lirneasia.net About this report Acknowledgements This joint publication is the outcome of a research collaboration between GSMA’s Connected Women programme and LIRNEasia. LIRNEasia wishes to acknowledge all those who provided invaluable input and engaged with LIRNEasia on the design, implementation, and analysis of the baseline survey, namely Joshua Blumenstock (PhD), Per Helmerson (PhD), Saad Gulzar, Jorge Garcia Hombrados, Christoph Stork (PhD), Vignesh Ilavarasan (PhD), Htun Htun Oo, and Phyu Phyu Thi. It would also like to acknowledge the important contributions and insights provided by its own research team, Srignesh Lokanathan, Roshanthi Lucas Gunaratne, Rohan Samarajiva (PhD), Shazna Zuhyle, and Laleema Senanayake. We would also like to acknowledge MSR (Myanmar Survey Research) for contributing to the writing of this report. GSMA Connected Women works with mobile network operators and their partners to reduce the gender gap in connectivity and improve access to mobile money services by overcoming barriers to women’s ownership and use of mobile phones. Progress in this area will deliver substantial socio-economic benefits for women, business, and the wider economy. The initiative also promotes greater inclusion of women as employees and leaders in the mobile industry. LIRNEasia is a pro-poor, pro-market think tank active across the Asia Pacific. Its mission is catalysing policy change through research to improve people’s lives in the emerging Asia Pacific by facilitating their use of hard and soft infrastructures through the use of knowledge, information, and technology. More information can be found at www.lirneasia.net The research presented in this report originates from two sources: This research was co-funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), GSMA, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, and UK Aid of the Department for International Development (DFID), UK. 1. A nationally representative baseline survey of knowledge, information, and communication habits and needs in Myanmar, conducted by LIRNEasia in Myanmar between February and May 2015. Fieldwork was conducted by Third Eye Co., Ltd. 2. A qualitative study of women’s and men’s mobile phone and internet usage, conducted by GSMA and LIRNEasia in Myanmar in July 2015. Fieldwork was conducted by Myanmar Survey Research (MSR). The GSMA Connected Women team members involved in this research were Claire Sibthorpe, Shireen Santosham, and Dominica Lindsey. The LIRNEasia team included Helani Galpaya, Ayesha Zainudeen, Nilusha Kapugama, Chiranthi Rajapakse, Suthaharan Perampalam, and Radhika Wijesekera. i