WIRED - Growing smartphone usage among rural women overcomes institutional disadvantages

R. Mallika taps on the WhatsApp icon on her phone and selects the chat with S. Thanaraj. It's a long conversation, with messages back and forth about conserving her tribe's forest lands. It’s like billions of messages sent each day on WhatsApp, with one important exception—there are no written words.

About 200 million women in India are illiterate. But smartphones are allowing them to use voice memos and image sharing apps to connect, communicate, and run businesses. From undercover detectives to environmental activists - women are harnessing technology to overcome traditional barriers