Factors that affect internet usage among women in Uganda
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to determine the factors that affect internet usage among women in Uganda. The study used secondary which was obtained from the UDHS 2016 survey by UBOS. The data was analyzed using the STATA software.
The study was guided by five hypotheses. To achieve this, both Univariate and bivariate analysis were adopted. The Univariate analysis consisted of descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages. Chi-square tests were used in testing the research hypotheses at a 95% confidence interval. The results obtained indicated a significant relationship between age of a woman and internet usage, a significant relationship between the level of education of a woman and their internet use, an association between wealth index and internet usage among women, an association between place of residence and internet usage among women and finally a significant relationship between employment status of women and their internet usage.
The study recommends that Internet service providers should ensure that there is good network and internet connectivity in rural areas to enable village women access the internet. Young women should be empowered economically so that they may be able obtain for themselves resources such as phones, laptops, etc. needed to access the internet and to manage the internet costs. They should as well be educated on how the internet can improve their lifestyle. This will improve on the internet usage among young women. Women who are employed should create some time to get online either for leisure or to obtain some important information. By doing so, there will be a reduction in the internet gap between women and men. More women will be able to adopt and use the internet and better their lives.