A new study conducted by Institute of Public Opinion and Research (Ipor) and its partners has revealed striking differences between the impacts of smartphones and cash grants on women’s empowerment in the country.
The study, which was conducted between 2020 and 2025, followed 1 500 married women from low-income households across 84 villages in Blantyre—all of whom had no mobile phone ownership at baseline and relied heavily on piecework for survival.
Participants were categorised into four groups of which the first comprised 400 women who each received an Itel A16+ smartphone plus digital training on the usage. Another of 400 women received similar phones plus training with their husbands, the third group of 400 women received cash equivalent to Itel A16+ smartphone while last group of 300 women did not receive anything as they were the control of the survey.
Presenting the findings in Blantyre yesterday, Ipor director of research and operations Boniface Dulani and Philip Roessler, a professor of government at College of William and Mary in the United States of America, found that while smartphones strengthened digital inclusion, the group that received the cash experienced the strongest economic effects.
The survey further found that many women who received cash equivalent to smart phones invested in small businesses, food security and home improvements. The cash recipients also reported higher household consumption, more diversified income sources and increased participation in savings groups.
The survey also found that by 32 months of the study, majority of smartphones issued during the project were no longer in use, mainly due to breakage, theft or inability to repair them.
In an interview after the dissemination of the findings, Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare chief gender and development officer Chimwemwe Kussein commended Ipor and its partners for the survey.
The survey was conducted in partnership with College of William and Mary of USA and Girls Empowerment Network in Malawi.
