Vodafone Foundation

Globally, mobile phones are revolutionising daily life - even among some of the most marginalised groups. But girls are at the back of the queue when it comes to accessing mobile, which means they get more of the risks but fewer, if any, of the benefits.

Mobile can put unprecedented power in a girl’s hands - helping her feel safer and more connected, as well as to find information and opportunities in all areas of her life: from health information to financial services and employment opportunities. Closing the mobile gender gap will dramatically improve the lives of girls, their families, and their communities - and contribute towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Girl Effect and Vodafone Foundation have teamed up to empower seven million girls across seven countries (India, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Mozambique) with access to the information services they need through mobile. Working together with multiple partners and funders, the partnership aims to generate total funds of up to $25m over five years, including a $5m contribution from Vodafone Foundation.

The five-year partnership launched in September 2018 with the first-ever global study into adolescent girls and mobile phones, previewed at the Social Good Summit, in advance of the full report release on 11 October 2018, International Day of the Girl. The survey presented the most detailed picture to date of girls and mobile, along with recommendations for how to best use mobile in development interventions.

To change the world for girls, we need to help them take control

This partnership is supporting girls to make choices for themselves; taking control of their bodies and health, actively educating with education, and learning skills that can earn a living. 

Already the partnership is connecting 10.1 million girls with content that helps them make choices and changes in their lives - like negotiating condom use with their partners or and accessing contraception when they need it. 

Vodafone Foundation’s partnership has significantly strengthened Girl Effect’s digital infrastructure to meet girls online and be able to scale our work in the future - all while ensuring data is securely stored and protected. 

Through Girl Effect’s technology and brands, the partnership has:

• Launched a high-fi digital-first brand in India - Chhaa Jaa - reaching girls exclusively on social media, as the most effective and cost-efficient way to reach girls at scale. 

• Launched a low-fi digital brand in Tanzania - Tujibebe - designed around girls' level of mobile access. This includes an on-demand audio IVR line (Interactive Voice Response), radio drama, website, and social media. 

• Expanded the reach of Springster, Girl Effect’s global mobile platform, which comes to life as a website, on social media, and a sex and relationships chatbot called BigSis. Designed to be a girls' go-to place to grow their knowledge, self-esteem and find peer support, it’s home to Girl Effect's digital and tech initiatives. 

• With the launch of new brands in India and Tanzania, Girl Effect also expanded its network of Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors (TEGAs) into those countries. 

We are measuring girls’ engagement with all of these brands, as well as inviting feedback via surveys, to continue to track behaviour and attitude changes. 

Long-term, the partnership will add to the growing body of evidence and insight around how girls are using mobile phones, and how digital interventions can drive behaviour change.