Abstract/Summary

There has been a rapid increase in internet penetration in Africa over the last decade. As women gain access to the internet, it is hoped that it will increase their opportunities for empowerment. However, whether and how the internet will lead to their empowerment is uncertain. This study aims to evaluate whether the internet is empowering non-elite women in and around Kampala, Uganda. It examines the gender dynamics that are affecting women’s use of the internet and the opportunities for empowerment that it affords. It also undertakes a contextual analysis of women’s use of the internet by exploring how the multiple identities of women and the context of its use are influencing its effectiveness. The research employs a grounded, iterative approach and uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect and triangulate the data. The study demonstrates that once women gain access to the internet it can provide them with opportunities for economic, social, political and psychological empowerment. The research suggests that the use of the internet is helping some women to bypass offline gender constraints particularly in terms of controls over access to information, the ability to freely associate with others and to express oneself freely. On the other hand, the research reveals that some gender norms are being replicated online and these act as barriers to women’s empowerment. Furthermore, there are particular constraints such as poor IT skills that prevent women from using the internet effectively and are hence increasing the digital gender divide. This study highlights the importance of understanding the complex relationship between the technology and the gender dynamics and context within which it is introduced, so that strategies can be developed that help close the divide rather than exacerbate it.