MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR 4 MOBILE PHONES, INTERNET, AND GENDER IN MYANMAR Myanmar’s socio-economic context This section looks at the socio-economic context of Myanmar (based on LIRNEasia’s baseline survey findings and national census data) as well as the country’s social-cultural context (based on the qualitative research findings) to provide a framework for understanding the key research findings presented in Section 5. 4.1 Socio-economic context and challenges “My mother is also a housewife and didn’t work outside. So normally, we say she is dependent. But her role in our family is really important. She guided and looked after us so we became educated. She taught us when we were young. She opened a bookshop because she wanted to do some business to increase our income. But we look in general, her job can’t be seen because she is a housewife and she is dependent although she plays a very important role in our life.” “Guys get more chance than females because males can go and work at the workshop. But females have to do mat weaving business, here… We have less job opportunities here in Pantanaw.” Female mobile owner, 28, Pantanaw Female mobile owner, 40, SEC B, Yangon Source: LIRNEasia Baseline Survey, 2015 Figure 6 Monthly total household expenditure, MMK The mean age of survey respondents was 35 for men and 36 for women. Sixty-eight percent of the survey sample came from rural areas and 32% from urban. There are clear socio-economic disparities between those living in urban and rural areas, as well as access to services, but in qualitative research protocols (both urban and rural), the main day-to-day challenges respondents cited were lack of income and job opportunities. Myanmar, housewives have a huge impact on the financial standing of the household even if they are not directly involved in any income-generating activities. The primary female in a household (mother, wife, or other) is the financial manager of the house, ensuring that money is spent and saved wisely. Although their main role is in the home, some housewives contribute to household earnings through small jobs and business ventures. According to the survey, more than two-thirds of households in Myanmar spend less than MMK 300,000 (USD 291) per month (Figure 6). When household expenditure is used as a proxy for household income, this equates to socio-economic classification groups D and E (the lowest two). In rural areas, the most common occupations were farming/animal husbandry/ fishing/logging and skilled/unskilled labour (Figure 7), which means most earn a daily wage or on a profit/ dividend/interest basis (Figure 8). The biggest concern among those interviewed in the qualitative research was their limited employment opportunities. Most rural respondents had no regular income, many were daily wage labourers and earned seasonal income from fish farming and fishing in the paddy fields. The types of jobs available to women in rural areas tended to be limited, and the survey findings showed there is a substantial wage disparity between men and women (Figure 9), with men earning up to 77% more than women. The wage difference is lower in urban areas (46%). More women (53%, compared to 7% of men) were out of the workforce (not seeking employment) and identified themselves as housewives (Figure 7). In 18 % of Myanmar households 60% 39% 54% 30% 20% 19% 17% 6% 4% Urban (%) 100,000 and below 14% 4% 0% Rural (%) 100,001-300,000 300,001-500,000 21% 9% 2% Myanmar total (%) 500,001-1,000,000 1,000,001 and above Note: USD 1 = MMK 1032.49 as of 31 March 2015 19