Women and Mobile Phone Charging Business in Nigeria: A Capability Perspective

Abstract:

There is a growing adoption of solar home systems to support sustainable development and address poor electricity supply in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This has resulted in the rise of solar mobile phone charging businesses, especially in off-grid communities. An area that remains under researched that needs to be addressed is how these solar mobile phone charging businesses provide opportunities for women in rural communities in SSA. We employ the concepts of Sen's Capability Approach to evaluate how the solar mobile phone charging businesses has improved the lives of women by focusing on opportunities provided for expanding their freedoms to participate in social, economic, and political activities. Our analysis shows that women's involvement in solar mobile phone charging businesses has enhanced their individual and collective capabilities to participate in development activities; however, certain contextual factors hinder the generation of these capabilities. The paper concludes with some implications for theory and practice.