A Double-Edged Sword.  : Mobile phones and empowerment among market women in Kampala

• In this article we depart from studies on empowerment and its intersections with the informal economy and market women in the global south and promises of the mobile phone in so-called developing regions. Conducting an explorative study among market women in Kampala, the aim is to study what role (if any) the mobile phone plays for them in terms of empowerment. Our findings resonate with studies from other parts of the world, suggesting that while pivotal for their business endeavours, mobile phone practices are also embedded in patriarchal structures. The article ends by discussing how these market women navigate the tensions between using the phone for their business and in relations to their partner. In this way the article contributes with a more nuanced and context specific understanding of mobile phone practices and the empowerment of market women.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap -- Mänsklig interaktion med IKT (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications -- Human Aspects of ICT (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Development; Empowerment; Gender; Informal Economy; M4D; Mobile Phones; Market Women; Kampala; Uganda

Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap

Media and Communication Studies

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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