Gender variation in telecommunication use and sustainable mobility in the rural areas of Nigeria: towards a just transition and climate action

The influence of telecommunications on household travel behavior, particularly from a gendered perspective, remains underexplored, especially in rural contexts where its impact may be more significant. This study investigated gender-based differences in telecommunication use and travel behavior among rural households in Akure North Local Government Area, Nigeria. Utilizing a multi-stage sampling method, 50% of the wards were randomly selected, and 4% of male and female household heads were systematically chosen, resulting in 495 distributed questionnaires. The findings highlighted notable socio-demographic and travel behavior differences. For women, telecommunications usage tended to complement trip patterns, whereas for men, it had a stronger influence on trip generation. Factors such as age, income, educational background, data costs, and travel time significantly shaped these outcomes (p < 0.05). These results emphasize the importance of developing gender-sensitive telecommunications and mobility policies to address the diverse needs of demographic groups effectively.