Trickle Up

What does it take for women to achieve digital agency?

Our latest research, conducted in partnership with Quicksand, shows that digital agency is built on three components:

📱 Material conditions – the phone itself, the money to keep it running, the connectivity & electricity

💡 Individual capability – the skills, confidence, and knowledge to use technology effectively

🤝 Social and normative conditions – the rules, expectations, and relationships that govern how a woman in her position is allowed to use one

When these components come together, women can truly use digital tools to strengthen their livelihoods, make informed decisions, and expand opportunities.

Follow us for more insights on what it takes to build women's digital agency.

Smartphone ownership and internet connectivity are often treated as signs of digital inclusion. Yet access alone doesn't tell us whether women have the confidence, autonomy, and opportunity to use technology in ways that improve their lives.

Our new research with Quicksand explores these questions through Trickle Up's MPowered program in India. Here are nine lessons we learned about women's digital agency—and what it takes to ensure phones become tools for economic opportunity.