MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR “My youngest daughter has a mobile. She bought it with her income by installment. Her brother only has a low income.” FGD rural, female non-owner, 30–45 “I have to give priority to my younger brother. All his friends have one so he wants one, too. I pity him.” FGD rural, female non-owner, 18–29, working, SEC D/E “I was the first to own a phone and bought it 8 months ago. I wanted it because everybody has one. My family asked me to save money and buy it. They didn’t want to go to the phone shop anymore. My brother lent me money.” MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR 5.1.3 Who taught them to use the mobile phone? Most women have learned how to use a mobile phone from relatives or friends who already own one. Shop staff will also explain how to use it. However, many women are not actually present when their phone is purchased, so they do not get an introduction to the phone at the shop. Many rely on siblings, husbands, or other relatives to show them how to operate the phone and the internet. Many female owners are still insecure and treat their phone with utmost care. They are afraid that they may break it by pressing ‘wrong’ buttons, and just stick to basic calling. Many feel too embarrassed to go to a phone shop to ask basic questions about the internet or apps. They do not even know what details to ask because they do not fully understand the internet/apps. As a result, many women only follow the instructions of others instead of exploring all the possibilities and functions themselves. This leaves many women with very limited knowledge of their phone and the internet. HV, rural, female owner, 21, working “Males work and have business so they carry the phone. But if the wife has business she also has one. Today even youngsters and children have a mobile.” “Females don’t have the time to learn and fiddle with phones since they are busy at home. They are not as skillful as us.” HV, Yangon, female owner, 19, not working, SEC C FGD, rural, male owner, 30-45, SEC C/D “Usually women my age hardly own a mobile in this village because they don’t have an income. I do business so I need one.” “We don’t fiddle with it a lot because we are concerned that we would damage it. We don’t want to waste money. I can’t afford a new one.” HV, rural, female owner, 52, working, SEC C/D FGD Yangon, female owners, 18–29, working, SEC B/C “Males know better how to operate and to repair phones … there are hardly females working in phone shops.” Actions that help households afford a second, third, or more handsets will help to enable more women to get their own mobile. HV Yangon, female owner, 19, SEC C • Making basic digital skills available and accessible to women, without having to rely on shop staff or other men, will help to increase mobile usage. • Simplifying handset features may improve the user experience. • The reason women fear damaging the handset should be understood, and actions taken to negate this fear. 34 35