Worldwide, 300 million fewer women than men own a cell phone. a disparity that deprives women of educational, health and financial opportunities.
To level the playing field, two major companies have committed to providing 100 million women with mobile technology over the next five years.
Tata Communications and Mastercard announced their plan to join up in order to bring the technology to women in need at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative. They’re launching the program in India, Nigeria, Indonesia and Guatemala, with the goal of initially targeting 25,000 women.
Giving a woman in a developing country access to such technology plays a key role in her educational development, financial independence and overall well-being.
In Haiti, for example, underserved women often don’t have access to bank accounts, leaving them particularly vulnerable, Melinda Gates noted in an op-ed for The New York Times.
Women there typically keep their money hidden in pots and fields and are constantly worried about thieves. Getting a loan in an emergency situation is often impossible for them. read more
