WHY MANY PAKISTANI WOMEN STILL CAN’T USE MOBILE WALLETS

Imagine having a bank account, a phone, and the skills to use apps— but still needing permission from a husband, brother, or father to spend your own money. For many women in urban Pakistan, this is reality. Despite over 70% of adults owning phones, women remain far less likely to use mobile wallets like Easypaisa or JazzCash. Our research—based on surveys and 91 interviews across Lahore—shows that the issue isn’t access, but power.

Women may have wallets registered in their names, yet the phone belongs to a male relative who controls passwords and usage. As one woman put it, “Even if I get a phone, it’s my brother’s.” Access without agency creates a false sense of inclusion. Inside households, men still dominate financial decisions, and our analysis found that women with more decision-making power were far likelier to use mobile wallets. Trust also works differently across genders. Women fear mistakes or blame if money is lost, while men fear surveillance or control. Meanwhile, digital literacy gaps persist not due to lack of education but lack of teaching. Many women said they’d use wallets “if someone taught them,” but no one ever did. Mobility adds another layer—many women cannot freely visit banks or agents, leaving accounts inactive. Closing this gap requires more than technology. Women-only training spaces, female agent networks, and household inclusion campaigns can shift norms, while home-based onboarding can overcome mobility barriers. True inclusion demands social change—giving women the freedom and confidence to use what they already have. Until women no longer need permission to press “Send,” digital inclusion will remain incomplete.