Mobile Phones & Literacy: Empowerment in Women's Hands

“Literate societies have a higher probability of eradicating poverty while providing conditions for people to equally achieve long and healthy lives, gainful employment and an active civic participation in democratic contexts.”

This publication by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) examines the extent to which mobile phones can enhance or develop literacy for women and girls in ways that contribute to their empowerment, and strengthen their capability to choose and benefit from wider educational, social, and work opportunities to improve their lives.  The publication is based on a cross-analysis of nine mobile learning projects for women in rural and slum areas of Africa, the Arab States, and Asia. It is hoped that the recommendations and lessons learned emerging from this review will support policy-makers and practitioners to conceptualise and implement quality mobile learning supporting women’s human development.

The mobile learning projects in this review took place in Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Senegal, and Somalia and targeted women in rural and slum areas. Project populations were characterised by extreme poverty, unemployment, youth, social and cultural norms that constrain girls’ and women’s freedom and opportunities, multiple ethnicities and linguistic diversity.  The projects themselves focused on economic empowerment and non-formal literacy programmes and touched on topics including sanitation, maternal health, goat-rearing and water management. Mobile phones were used as learning and business tools to reinforce literacy programmes and improve communication through texting.

Using reviews used primarily secondary sources of information such as project-related reports/studies, peer-reviewed publications, and conference proceedings to examine the nine cases’ outcomes and trends.  The author considered three main axes:

• literacy in its ample meanings and practices
• mobile phone technology and mobile learning
• the empowerment of women and girls in terms of human development.

The report itself is divided into sections covering:

• implementation contexts
• conceptions of literacy and empowerment
• mobile learning processes
• sustainability
• challenges and solutions
• conclusions

According to the report, mobile phones in the projects reviewed were accessed and used as a communication and learning tool to enhance new or existing literacy endeavours.  Most of the projects relied on information transfer and aimed at facilitating acquisition of neutral/autonomous skills such as the ability to read/write a simple statement.  Learners were encouraged to use SMS texting to practice and retain their skills.  Only two projects used mobile phone technology as part of a continuous and collective learning strategy leading to individual and social change with literacy connected to women’s active participation in improved livelihood practices. In relation to project sustainability, most mobile phone enhanced literacy efforts were embedded as blended learning initiatives within existing non-formal literacy and community empowerment programmes contributing to a better alignment of learning objectives and efficient use of resources.

In terms of outcomes, the review showed that, although there was an initial increase in skills, the learning process itself remained weak in depth, with little interaction between learners and content, and with limited retention.  Participants’ use of literacy skills for further learning, or for enhancing voice, participation or employment opportunities was very limited. 

Overall, the report indicates that educational, socio-cultural and economic factors need to be incorporated more evidently as part of the mobile learning process. It further recommends more exploration on how mobile learning can develop and sustain literacy while creating further opportunities of voice and participation and better livelihoods.  The report underlines the importance of ensuring and appropriately measuring quality content in mobile learning, rather than relying on quantity.  The recommendations address:

• Ensuring affordable access to mobile phone technology;
• Promoting women’s mobile learning by building on socio-cultural norms and practices;
• Making mobile phone-delivered content and literacy skills relevant and applicable to needs and contexts;
• Opening mobile learning to a wide range of educational settings and pedagogical processes; and
• Monitoring and evaluating how mobile phone learning can enhance women’s and girls’ literacy and empowerment.