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Caroline Wamala LarssonDirector of Spider

About me

 

I am an associate professor in gender studies with an interest and focus on the dynamic intersection of research and practice. I am currently the director of SPIDER a centre of enablement fostering inclusive digitalisation, based at Stockholm University’s department of Computer and Systems Sciences. For over two decades I have been in relentless pursuit of harnessing technology for social good. My academic pursuits, collaborative spirit, and commitment to inclusivity intentionally position me at the nexus of academia, technology, and societal advancement.

I received my associate professorship in 2017 from Karlstad University during which time I continued my practical engagement in digital transformation with SPIDER. I am keenly aware that the mobile technology lies at the heart of societal evolution, playing a pivotal role in the ongoing digital revolution. I also recognize the transformative potential of mobile devices in providing digital opportunities to underserved and marginalized communities. My contributions within this area

extend beyond my recognition of technology's potential. My extensive body of work, spanning multiple publications, showcases my expertise in the field of mobile communication technologies for development. Notably, I have co-edited two volumes:

I am rooted in the academic field of gender and technology, and my research delves into the intricate relationship between gender and technology. My research explores the complex interplay between gender and technology, involving the intersectional paradigm to further our understanding of the gender in gender and technology. 

I am an advocate for the STEM movement, championing its application in societal transformation. I envision technology as a potent equalizer, capable of equitably weaving together diverse communities. I am co-investigator in the GeJuSTA project funded by the IDRC, and work package lead for three on-going EU funded projects at SPIDER namely; EQUALS-EU, HoliCare, and iPRIS. I have in addition to these projects contributed through the Swedish Bilateral Research Cooperation funded by Sida co-led the digital transformation journeys for select institutions of higher learning in the global south. 

Research projects

Health Alliance for Digital Development & Action (HADDA)

This project studies health management information systems in Somalia. We gather information on the availability of functioning systems in place, and identifiy needs for human and technical support. This will be used to implement a unified system for improved maternal and child health care.

The entrance of a delivery clinic in Puntland, Somalia. Photo: SIDRA Research Institute.

Publications

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

  • COVID-19: From health crises to food security anxiety and policy implications

    2021. Linley Chiwona-Karltun (et al.). Ambio 50 (4), 794-811

    Article

    Like the rest of the world, African countries are reeling from the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19. The continent's governments have responded by imposing rigorous lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus. The various lockdown measures are undermining food security, because stay at home orders have among others, threatened food production for a continent that relies heavily on agriculture as the bedrock of the economy. This article draws on quantitative data collected by the GeoPoll, and, from these data, assesses the effect of concern about the local spread and economic impact of COVID-19 on food worries. Qualitative data comprising 12 countries south of the Sahara reveal that lockdowns have created anxiety over food security as a health, economic and human rights/well-being issue. By applying a probit model, we find that concern about the local spread of COVID-19 and economic impact of the virus increases the probability of food worries. Governments have responded with various efforts to support the neediest. By evaluating the various policies rolled out we advocate for a feminist economics approach that necessitates greater use of data analytics to predict the likely impacts of intended regulatory relief responses during the recovery process and post-COVID-19.

    Read more about COVID-19

  • Mobile phones in the transformation of the informal economy: stories from market women in Kampala, Uganda

    2018. Caroline Wamala Larsson, Jakob Svensson. Journal of Eastern African Studies 12 (3), 533-551

    Article

    This research project is situated within the area mobile technologies for development (M4D), i.e. that mobile communication technologies play a vital role in the livelihood of people in developing regions. Out of a larger explorative study of how market women in Kampala use their mobile phone(s), this article focuses on the transformation of the so-called informal economy, here in the form of Kampala street markets. Departing from stories of the women themselves, the article discusses the role of mobile telephony in this transformation. The street markets today have become hybridized as mobile money allows for non-street transactions. The appropriation of the mobile phone into these micro enterprises, we argue, has the potential to produce new regulatory spaces, considering that mobile services, located in the formal sector, are deeply embedded in Kampala's informal economic practices. To make sense of these results, we turn to science, technology and society studies (STS). STS helps us understand the mutual co-production of mobile phone practices and the transformation of the street markets. The mobile phone represents a force for change in the market women's economic activities, at once challenging and reinforcing the informality of the Kampala markets.

    Read more about Mobile phones in the transformation of the informal economy

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