Bridging the Gap: Exploring Mobile Ownership Disparities among Vulnerable Population

Abstract

The study explores the digital divide in vulnerable groups in Pakistan, assessing the impact of different vulnerabilities and analyzing the effect of various vulnerabilities on this divide. The study identifies key vulnerable groups, including women, economically disadvantaged individuals, and persons with disabilities. The study uses Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurements (PSLM), 2019-20. The Logit model's aftermath suggests that females are 65.1% less likely to own a mobile phone than males. Poor individuals are 44.4% less likely to own a phone, and disabled individuals have 61.4% lower odds. The study shows that individuals with one vulnerability are 44% less likely to own a mobile phone vis-à-vis a person without vulnerability, with two vulnerabilities 70.1% less likely, and with three vulnerabilities 84.8% less likely. As vulnerabilities like poverty, disability, or marginalization increase, compounded barriers—financial, accessibility, and social—reduce mobile phone ownership. The research reveals that females who are simultaneously poor and disabled, as well as those who are either poor or disabled, are particularly susceptible to the digital divide. The findings emphasize compounded disadvantages, showing an intersectionality effect in mobile phone ownership. The conclusions of this research are crucial for formulating strategies to address and mitigate the digital divide within and among vulnerable communities.