Gender gap in phone access curbing women's growth; highest in Rajasthan, UP

No more than 38% of women in India own mobile phones, compared with 71% of men

A 33-percentage-point gender gap in mobile phone ownership in India is exacerbating inequality and inhibiting women’s earnings, networking opportunities and access to information, according to a new study by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Strong social norms, customs and individual beliefs create further barriers to access for women already facing the “economic challenges” of owning and operating a phone, said the new study by Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD), a research centre at the Kennedy School.

No more than 38% of women in India own mobile phones, compared