Type | Thesis or Dissertation - Master of Arts |
Title | Use of mobile technology among rural women in Pakistan for agricultural extension information |
Author(s) | |
Publication (Day/Month/Year) | 2015 |
URL | http://search.proquest.com/openview/0b09ae802ed59ce1ec1a1e2bfeb8706b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y |
Abstract | Drawing on the foundations of the theory of inclusive innovations, this study analyzes the extent to which a marginalized group—specifically, rural women in Pakistan—utilizes the innovation of mobile technology to access telecommunication-based agricultural extension information services. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan's economy, and women are around threefourths of the total labor force employed in this sector. Despite their crucial role in the agricultural growth of the country, this segment is often deprived of updated agricultural extension information. The evolution of mobile technology can bridge this gap as it helps users to access information instantaneously, moving beyond the limitations of mobility and cultural barriers. A total of 80 rural women, in the five villages of the Lahore district, chosen by random sampling, were interviewed through a structured questionnaire to identify whether the women were aware of telecommunication-based agricultural extension information services, and whether those with a higher educational qualification were more likely to use mobile technology to access those services, compared with those who were unaware and had lower educational qualifications. The study found that being aware of such services was not the indicator that motivated the respondents to access the services. The cell phone is, no doubt, the most widely and frequently used means of accessing these services. The educational qualification was significantly related to the use of mobile technology to access telecommunication-based agricultural extension information services. |
» | Pakistan - Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2013-2014 |