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

This study examined how men and women who own micro-businesses in Lagos, Nigeria, use mobile apps for business. The paper analyses the findings from Amartya Sen’s capability approach viewpoint. 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 adopt 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

Emergency Contraceptive Knowledge and Use among Urban Women in Nigeria and Kenya

Rates of emergency contraception (EC) use in sub-Saharan Africa are highest in Kenya and Nigeria, although little is understood about user characteristics and use dynamics in these countries. In order to better meet the emergency contraceptive needs of women, and contribute to the limited knowledge base on EC in Africa, this study examines a large, representative sample of EC users. It draws on data collected from household surveys that included 7,785 sexually experienced women in urban Kenya and 12,653 sexually experienced women in urban Nigeria. Bivariate and multivariate analyses found that among these urban women, knowledge of EC was higher than reported in other nationally representative surveys (58% in Kenya and 31% in Nigeria). About 12% of sexually-experienced women in Kenya and 6% in Nigeria ever used EC, although fewer women (less than 5%) reported using EC in the past one year. Recent users of EC were more likely to be in their twenties, unmarried, and more highly educated than never users or ever users of EC in both countries. Results contradict public perceptions of EC users as younger adolescents, and indicate the importance of strengthening EC provision in Africa, including targeting information and services to unmarried women and supporting private pharmacies in delivering quality EC services