ExxonMobil's charitable arm has awarded a grant to support research into the use of mobile technology for women entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Mobile phones can help women develop small businesses Image: Futureatlas.com |
The $1.5m grant was made by the ExxonMobil Foundation to the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and will allow the organisation to explore the economic opportunities presented by mobile technologies.
There is already clear evidence that mobile phones have had a significant impact on communities in more remote areas around the world, by helping to develop business opportunities and manage day-to-day communication that would otherwise prove extremely complex, if not impossible for financial or geographical reasons.
The Exxon funded research will focus on how mobile communications can help women maximise economic opportunities and advance their personal development and businesses. The study will take place in three countries across three continents - Nigeria in Africa, Indonesia in Asia and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East and is supported by the Clinton Global Initiative.
The latest funding is part of a $47m programme by ExxonMobil and its Foundation to support the economic advancement of women around the world. The Cherie Blair Foundation - established by the human rights lawyer and wife of former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair - aims to help women access finance to become successful small business owners.