Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
less than
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 24 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Rural cell phones - Bangladesh

0 comments

In some of the poorest regions of the world, small business loans are allowing some rural Bangladesh women to create the countries first rural phone booths. Some women are turning profits of at least 2,000 taka monthly (about $65, twice the average monthly income of most Bangladeshi villagers). The Grameen bank, Bangladesh's best known development organization is making this possible with small loans to buy the phones.
Communication Strategies

Village cellphones were introduced in March, 1997 through small loans which were given to rural Bangladeshi as a business opportunity to create rural phone booths.
Development Issues

Women, technology, poverty
Key Points

Grameen has 22,000 phone subscribers in Dhaka and the surrounding district, but plans on expanding into 40,000 villages. By the year 2000, the network plans on having 500,000 subscribers. Cellphones are a much more realistic option to land line telephone coverage which would take years to establish. 94% of the loans that the bank offers are to women.
Partners



The Grameen Bank

Sources

The Globe and Mail, Monday July 6, 1998. Village phone ring up profit - Cellphones ring in rural Bangladesh. By John Stackhouse, pgs A1 and A8