Since the turn of the century, smartphones have been accomplishing one milestone after another, with innovators constantly working on new ways to get the most out of the small devices people carry around with them. The latest to do so is PayJoy, the financial service provider to the underserved in emerging markets, as it reveals how smartphones are enabling working mothers in Mexico to have financial stability.
A new report launched by PayJoy, the Unlocking Economic Mobility: Smartphone Finance and the Rise of Mexico’s Working Mother Micro-Entrepreneurs report, draws insights from over 1,100 working mothers in Mexico who have received a PayJoy smartphone loan. It looks at how access to smartphones impacts their work, family life, and financial stability. Ninety-two per cent of working mothers in Mexico reported that smartphone financing has unlocked their ability to maintain their current employment.
“Smartphones are more than devices—they’re gateways to financial inclusion for Mexico’s working mothers,” said Priscila Barrantes, PayJoy’s Mexico country manager. “From managing customer relationships to accessing mobile payments and gig work platforms, smartphones are transforming how women participate in the economy. It’s no surprise that more than half (55 per cent) report that their income has increased because they now have access to a smartphone.”
Getting around the gender labour participation gap
In Mexico, there is a 32 per cent gender in labour participation, meaning working mothers not only struggle to find employment but once they do, have to manage 40 hours per week of unpaid caregiving and household duties. This is twice the time men in Mexico spend on similar responsibilities. Smartphones have enabled many working mothers to find employment though, with 95 per cent of those working outside the home crediting their ownership as a key enabler for work.
Additionally, 94 per cent of working mothers report that smartphones help them work at home and manage remote work effectively. Smartphone financing allows them to balance domestic responsibilities with income generation through accessible mobile financial tools that support entrepreneurship, remote work, and micro-business management.
Thriving in the informal economy
Mexico’s workforce is increasingly shaped by working mother micro-entrepreneurs, defined as mothers balancing caregiving responsibilities, household duties, and employment to supplement family income. Many of these women participate in the informal economy – economic activities like street vending, domestic work, and gig work – taking on multiple jobs and becoming micro-entrepreneurs in pursuit of better economic futures for themselves and their families.
Sixty-five per cent of PayJoy’s female customers in Mexico operate in this informal economy, with 75 per cent of this group working over seven hours per day. A further 24 per cent work more than 10 hours per day.
Out of PayJoy’s female customers surveyed, 67 per cent are working mothers and 73 per cent report that their smartphones are extremely important to them.
Ninety-five per cent of mothers report that their phone allows them to balance work and home responsibilities, underscoring how smartphone finance supports micro-entrepreneurship and economic mobility. This ability to combine work and family duties is essential to working mothers: 96 per cent say both caregiving and the ability to work are equally important to them.
“We’re committed to supporting the women who are often overlooked by traditional financial services,” continued Barrantes. “We believe that real impact comes from offering everyone the chance to access tools that can make a meaningful difference in their lives.”
