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Exploring Gender Gaps: How Nigerian Micro Business Owners Use Mobile Apps for Business

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Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D 2020)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 587))

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Abstract

This exploratory study examined how men and women who own micro businesses in Lagos, Nigeria, use mobile apps for business from Amartya Sen’s capability approach perspective and quantitative research methods. The two key findings suggest that women micro business owners make more use of mobile apps compared to men, and that they tend to exit micro businesses as they grow older indicating a possible influence of patriarchy in African contexts. Specifically, women seized opportunities presented by mobile apps to acquire capabilities to function; and they adapt mobile apps to enhance their wellbeing and freedom despite the restrictions and responsibilities in the patriarchal environments typical of low-income countries. The insignificant gender gap in certain mobile app usages presents new perspectives to debates on gender (economic) gaps, inequality, women empowerment, and technology uptake in low-income country contexts.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, School of Computer Science and Informatics, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE19BH, UK

    Adebowale Owoseni & Kutoma Wakunuma

  2. School of Computing, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

    Adedamola Tolani

  3. Department of Applied Information Systems, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Hossana Twinomurinzi

Authors
  1. Adebowale Owoseni
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  2. Kutoma Wakunuma
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  3. Adedamola Tolani
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  4. Hossana Twinomurinzi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adebowale Owoseni .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Salford, Salford, UK

    Julian M. Bass

  2. Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    P. J. Wall

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Owoseni, A., Wakunuma, K., Tolani, A., Twinomurinzi, H. (2020). Exploring Gender Gaps: How Nigerian Micro Business Owners Use Mobile Apps for Business. In: Bass, J.M., Wall, P.J. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies for Development. ICT4D 2020. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 587. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65828-1_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65828-1_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-65827-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-65828-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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