M-government and Saudi women’s empowerment: a capability approach perspective

Abstract

At a time when Saudi women are no longer legally required to obtain permission from their male guardians to take actions about their own and their children’s lives, this study examines how m-government contributes toward women’s empowerment. We use Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) to understand how Saudi m-government services provide empowerment opportunities for women. Interview data from 30 women suggest that the independent use of m-government empowers them by allowing them to obtain a driving licence, passport and national identity documents for themselves and their children. This in turn enabled them to work, study, travel and make decisions about their children’s health and education, without having to seek permission from their male guardians. Nevertheless, personal, social and environmental factors that hinder the use of m-government services for empowerment remain; notably, traditional religious and cultural values, resistance by male guardians and other family members as well as technical issues with the m-government apps, internet connectivity and lack of digital literacy skills. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that addresses how Saudi women make use of the opportunities created for them by m-government and the barriers that impede their access to these opportunities. The paper concludes by highlighting some significant theoretical and practical contributions in relation to m-government and women’s empowerment.