This policy report presents long-run evidence from a randomized controlled trial with 1,500 married women in Blantyre, Malawi, who did not own a mobile phone at baseline. The study tested three interventions: an unconditional cash transfer, individual smartphone distribution with training, and couples-based smartphone distribution with training. Findings show that providing women with smartphones and individual training substantially improved digital capabilities, mobile money use, and narrowed intra-household gender gaps compared to cash or couples-based approaches. The report highlights the importance of how digital tools are delivered for advancing women’s digital inclusion and economic empowerment.
Authors: Roessler, Philip; Bhattacharya, Shreya; Carroll, Peter; Dulani, Boniface; Kumar, Tanu; and Nielson, Daniel
Type: Report
Publisher: BIGD
Year: 2025
