Situated empowerment: Mobile phones practices among market women in Kampala

This article departs 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 examine what roles (if any) the mobile phone plays for them in terms of empowerment. The findings resonate with studies from other parts of the world, suggesting that while pivotal for their business endeavors, mobile phone practices are also embedded in patriarchal structures. By discussing how these market women navigate the tensions between using the phone for their business and in relations to their partners, the article contributes a more nuanced and context-specific understanding of mobile phone practices and the empowerment of market women. It concludes the article by suggesting a situated approach to the study of empowerment.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286512276_Situated_empowerment_Mobile_phones_practices_among_market_women_in_Kampala