Understanding Women’s Perspectives on Smart Home Security Systems in Patriarchal Societies of Malawi

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According to the World Bank, 33% of women in Sub-Saharan Africa experience domestic violence due to men’s social status over them. Prior research suggests that smart home security systems can perpetuate patriarchal attitudes at the expense of women’s rights. However, women’s perspectives on smart home security systems are not well understood. This paper presents a study with 33 Malawian women to understand how these technologies might be used in their homes. Based on interviews and focus group discussions, we present women’s perspectives on using smart home security systems and how they might exacerbate patriarchy. We found that while these technologies provide opportunities for supporting domestic security, they may affect women’s privacy as they complete everyday activities, like cooking. We use design sessions to explore opportunities for designing these technologies in patriarchal societies. This study expands existing discussion about smart home security systems by considering how patriarchal norms shape their utilization.