A new global survey has uncovered a concerning gender gap in mobile phone password use, with women across several regions—including Sub-Saharan Africa—less likely than men to secure their devices.
The findings come at a time when phone security is more important than ever, particularly in Africa where mobile money adoption is widespread and growing.
Women Less Likely to Use Phone Passwords
According to a recent Techweez report, women mobile phone owners in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Europe are about 10 percentage points less likely than men to use passwords or PINs to protect their devices.
The survey revealed that only 60% of mobile phone owners globally use passwords, with Sub-Saharan Africa registering the lowest adoption rates.
“Seventeen of the twenty economies with the lowest rates of password adoption are in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
This low rate is alarming, especially given that mobile phones in the region often serve as gateways to digital wallets, savings accounts, and banking services.
Kenya and a Few Others Show Better Adoption
While password usage remains low across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, some countries—including Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa—stand out. In these nations, two-thirds or more of phone owners reportedly use passwords.
Still, this level of adoption may not be sufficient to fully protect sensitive data stored on mobile phones, particularly in financial apps.
Threat to Mobile Money Accounts
Mobile money is widely used across Africa, with over 300 million account holders in the region. However, a troubling statistic from the World Bank’s Global Findex report shows that only about half of these users protect their devices with passwords.
This vulnerability is compounded by the fact that, in some cases, phone passwords are created by someone other than the owner—like a family member or phone vendor. This leaves users, especially women, exposed to unauthorized access.
“In most economies, between 15% and 30% of phone owners with passwords cannot change them.”
Even when passwords are used, users may lack control over them, or they may not know how to reset or update them.
Mobile Money PINs Help But Aren’t Enough
Most mobile money platforms in Kenya and other African countries do require users to enter a PIN for every transaction, providing a layer of security even when phones themselves are unprotected. Still, if someone has access to both the phone and the PIN, the risk of theft or fraud remains high.
In a related report on cyber threats in Kenya, digital security experts noted that poor phone hygiene, including the absence of passwords, contributes to rising cases of bank fraud, sextortion, and ransomware attacks.
Encouraging Signs in Mobile Money Gender Equality
Despite the broader gender gap in phone security, the Global Findex report highlights a positive trend: when it comes to mobile money specifically, women are just as likely as men to secure their phones with a password or PIN.
This suggests that financial education and awareness efforts in mobile money may be having an impact, even though general phone security still lags behind.
The Need for Broader Digital Security Education
As mobile phones become central to daily life in Africa—especially for financial transactions—the need for strong digital hygiene is urgent. Experts advocate for widespread public education campaigns on how to set and manage passwords, along with mobile security features like biometric locks and two-factor authentication.
Without such efforts, the gender gap in password use may continue to widen, leaving millions—especially women—vulnerable to fraud, privacy violations, and financial loss.
