The gender digital divide and gender gaps in protest participation

Bibliographic Data

ID24225136
AuthorsTiffany D Barnes (0000-0001-6211-3527, Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX), Emily Rains (0000-0001-6053-8425, Tulane University), J‐l Thomas (0000-0001-8736-7523, University of California San Diego), Jingwen Wu (0000-0003-0939-511X, The University of Texas at Austin)
Year2026
Volume63
Issue4
Pages646-660
Publication date2026-07-24
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Peace Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3433 • E-ISSN: 1460-3578
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/jopres/xjag021
OpenAlexW7160375172
LanguageEN
References cited78

Research shows women are less likely to protest than men and have relatively less access to cellphones than men. While a burgeoning body of research indicates cellphones can boost protest participation, scholars have overlooked potential gender differences in protest mobilization. Given this lacuna and the well-known gender disparities in communications technology, we examine whether the gender gap in mobile ownership influences gender differences in protest turnout. Using multiple waves of survey data from Africa, and a variety of methodological techniques to address endogeneity concerns, we find that the growing gender digital divide in cellphone ownership exacerbates the protest participation gap. Particularly, our results show that where women systematically own fewer cellphones than men, women are also significantly less likely to participate in protests than men. We probe one of the potential mechanisms underpinning this relationship; we use individual-level survey data to demonstrate that women who do not own cellphones face a political information disadvantage that limits their engagement in protests. We find that women mobile phone owners are more likely to look up information about political activities and opposing political views than women nonowners. Additionally, women who access such information are likelier to report participating in protest activities than women who lack such information. Overall, our findings support the contention that gendered cellphone disparities have far-reaching political consequences for women's political engagement and, therefore, women's access to the spoils of dissent. As a result, unequal cellphone access is likely to further entrench women's position on the political margins.

gender digital divide · political information access · Political mobilization · protest participation · women's political engagement · women's political participation · Gender Politics and Representation · Political Conflict and Governance · Social Media and Politics

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access