Beyond the Hype: Mobile telephony and the Limits of empowerment

This talk examines the celebrated narrative of mobile telephony as a tool of empowerment in the Global South.

While mobile phones expand communication and economic opportunities, their benefits remain uneven, often reinforcing gendered, structural, and political-economic inequalities. The study emphasizes that empowerment is relational and context-dependent, requiring systemic change beyond mere access to devices. It cautions against techno-optimism, urging development communication to foreground local perspectives and interrogate the structural and corporate forces that shape what counts as empowerment.

Dr Leah Jerop Komen

Dr Leah Jerop Komen is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Communication and Head of Alumni Relations at Daystar University, Kenya. She holds a PhD in New Media and Development from the University of East London, UK, as well as a Master’s in Development Communication and a Bachelor’s in Community Development from Daystar University. Her research and publications explore mobile telephony in rural Kenya, with interests spanning mobile communication, gender and power, and the socio-economic impacts of ICTs. She examines how mobile technologies are appropriated in everyday life across Sub-Saharan Africa.