MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR
MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR
Source: LIRNEasia Baseline Survey, 2015
Figure 7
Source: LIRNEasia Baseline Survey, 2015
Figure 9
Occupation
Mean wage that daily wage earners earn for a day’s work
% of population aged 15–65
USD equivalent
100%
Student
Not seeking job
Unemployed
(seeking job)
Skilled/unskilled
worker
$6.58
Farmer/livestock breeder
fisherman/logger
$4.52
$4.70
Urban Female (%)
Rural Male (%)
Business owner/
self-employed
$2.65
Professional/
government official
0%
Urban Male (%)
Urban Male (%)
Urban Female (%)
Rural Male (%)
Rural Female (%)
Rural Female (%)
Note: USD 1 = MMK 1032.49 as of 31 March 2015; includes only daily wage earners
Source: LIRNEasia Baseline Survey, 2015
Figure 8
Types of earnings
% of population aged 15-65 who are earning money
Other
7%
7%
Contract earning/ piece rate
9%
6%
Monthly salary
15%
6%
4%
27%
Other
6%
Contract earning/ piece rate
10%
Monthly salary
43%
Profit / dividends / interest
27%
Daily wage
39%
44%
Profit / dividends / interest
15%
32%
33%
Daily wage
31%
26%
Education levels are lowest in rural Myanmar, with just
15% having more than primary education, compared
to 48% in urban areas (Figure 10). Gender differences
were not as stark, although a higher number of women
had either not completed primary school or had not
enrolled at all. The qualitative research found this was
not only the result of girls (more so in earlier cohorts)
having to drop out of school to help earn money,
but also limited resources being funnelled towards
their brothers’ education instead. Respondents also
pointed out that there is more emphasis nowadays
on educating all children to improve their life
opportunities, and financial support from relatives
working abroad helps to make this possible.
“We need to get education
for females to get them a job.
As a man you could still go
abroad and work even without
education.”
Female mobile owner, 52, SEC C/D, Pantanaw
15%
Urban Male (%)
Urban Female (%)
Rural Male (%)
Rural Female (%)
Note: ‘Profit/dividends/interest’ includes earnings from business ventures and/or interest earnings on loans, and includes small, medium, and
micro enterprises and self employed; ‘contract earning/piece rate’ includes earnings for contract-based work (e.g. a contract for construction of
a wall) and/or earnings from the manufacture or sale of goods (e.g. per mat weaved).
20
21