Technology: Friend or Foe for Women of Myanmar online than other women since they cannot afford to subscribe to wireless broadband internet service at home and to have the leisure to use the internet at public Wi-Fi hotspots. (KII_01, Female) (KII_02, Male) Total Under 3 hrs 3 to 5 hrs 5 to 8 hrs 8 to 12 hrs Over 12 hrs Total 19.43% 28.57% 20.00% 21.14% 10.86% 100.00% Table 1: Daily internet use of women 3.1.4. Affordability of internet use for women after February 2021 For women, the cost of connectivity and digital devices is a key impediment to accessing the internet. The most cited barrier to women’s ownership of mobile phones in lower income households is affordability. Since the coup, Myanmar has been experiencing a currency crisis with the steep depreciation of the Myanmar Kyat and the rapid rise of inflation that has led to a surge in the prices of basic food items and commodities. Some interviewees mentioned that with high US dollar value and shortages, the prices of imported goods have been skyrocketing, especially those in high demand such as fuel, communication equipment, inverters, generators, and medicine. The military pressured mobile operators in Myanmar to almost double the price of mobile data on 8 December 2021. In addition, on 24 January 2022, the junta revised the taxation law and increased the tax on internet service providers (ISPs). As a result, mobile internet users face less affordable internet as confirmed by our respondents 58.9% of whom face difficulty in using the internet and 32.6% are confronted with some trouble with regards to the affordability of internet use. Therefore over 90% of respondents have suffered from the negative impact of higher internet prices. These challenges together with limitations imposed on telecommunication service providers lead to highly priced services which severely hinder the ability of poor communities, especially women, to access and tailor these technologies to their needs. Equipment and connection costs are generally excessive for all states and regions but are a greater obstacle for active conflict zones. (KII_03, a male CDM student) 22