India's digital landscape is booming, especially in rural areas, with significant growth in internet usage and digital payments. However, a gender-based digital divide persists, hindering women's empowerment.
In rural India, women often experience intra-household discrimination, which prevents them from accessing digital devices within their homes, thereby widening the gender-based digital divide, and highlighting the need for digital empowerment of rural women.
India’s digital landscape is experiencing robust growth, with digital penetration consistently showing healthy double-digit growth at 28%. Rural India, in particular, has seen significant progress, with nearly half of its population now connected to the internet, reflecting a 40% growth rate. Online banking and digital payments have surged, with a remarkable growth rate of 43%.
However, several obstacles continue to hinder women and girls from reaping the benefits of this transformation, demonstrating the need for digital empowerment of rural women. Limited access, affordability, inadequate education, as well as deep-seated biases and socio-cultural norms, restrict women’s ability to harness these opportunities.
According to the Nielsen Media Internet Report 2023, India boasts over 700 million active Internet users aged 2 years and above as of December 2022. Rural India has marked its presence with a whopping 425 million internet users, a number that’s almost 44% higher than in urban areas.
In Rural India, men are nearly twice as likely as women to have used the internet (49% vs 25%)
This remarkable growth can be attributed to factors like increased smartphone penetration, the emergence of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and government initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, which have facilitated internet access in even the remotest parts of the country. As a result, untapped human potential is now finding room to flourish.
Despite these impressive strides, however, a concerning digital divide has emerged – the gap between those who can access the opportunities of the digital economy and those who cannot. This disparity is particularly pronounced among women, as per NFHS 5 data, which reveals that in Rural India, men are nearly twice as likely as women to have used the internet (49% vs 25%).
The digital transformation has opened new avenues for the economic as well as digital empowerment of rural women and the potential for greater gender equality. The Internet, digital platforms, mobile phones, and digital financial services offer “leapfrog” opportunities that can bridge this divide, allowing women to earn additional income, enhance their employment prospects, and access information and knowledge. To achieve these goals, it is essential to seize this opportunity to foster greater gender equality, boost economic growth, and create a more inclusive, digital world.
In rural India, women often experience intra-household discrimination, which prevents them from accessing digital devices within their homes, thereby widening the gender-based digital divide. Even when women are permitted to use household mobile devices, their online activities are frequently governed by male relatives. Mobile phones are seen as a threat to a woman’s reputation before marriage and an interruption to caregiving responsibilities post-marriage.
In this social structure, women have found themselves excluded from the growing digital economy, particularly when seeking online education, skill training, entrepreneurial opportunities, and work prospects. Taking action to reverse these trends can bring significant benefits. Greater inclusion of women in the digital economy and increased diversity add both social and economic value. Digital technologies offer opportunities for the economic empowerment of women and girls. However, not every woman can benefit from these “leapfrog” opportunities due to the existing digital gender divide.
The future trajectory depends significantly on policy support to ensure access, adoption, and utilisation of technological tools, especially by women and girls, to narrow and ultimately close the digital gender divide. Some key strategies to address this issue include:
1. Enhancing Access and Affordability: Connecting women who still cannot access broadband and mobile networks is crucial for fostering an inclusive digital world. This can be achieved by reducing the costs of devices and services through subsidies or free data, improving network coverage and quality, and ensuring the safety and accessibility of public facilities.
2. Upskilling: Equipping and training women and girls with the skills needed to thrive in the digital transformation is essential. Efforts should also focus on educating society to eliminate socio-cultural norms that discriminate against women’s digital use. Awareness campaigns and educational programs can demonstrate that women and girls are well-suited for STEM and ICT-related jobs, and showcasing female role models can normalize female leadership in these fields.
3. Labour Market Participation: Digital technologies enable remote work and telecommuting, offering women in rural areas access to a broader range of job opportunities without the need to relocate. Online job platforms and freelance marketplaces can connect rural women with jobs that match their skills and interests. Access to online courses and educational resources can help women enhance their skills and stay competitive in the job market.
4. Fostering Women Entrepreneurship: Digital platforms can provide rural women with access to information about market trends, business strategies, and financial literacy, empowering them to make informed decisions and develop sustainable business plans. Online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms offer them access to a wider customer base, while social media facilitates connections with mentors, peers, and potential partners.
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These strategies must also address the underlying factors that prevent women and girls from fully participating in the digital transformation. Normative barriers, beliefs, and stereotypes need to be addressed, and policies must be in place to prohibit gender-based violence in digital spaces and protect women’s rights to participate in the digital economy free from violence.
While the digital transformation promises greater gender equality, it also poses the risk of reinforcing existing gender disparities. Policy actions are essential to ensure women’s full participation and inclusion in the digital economy while addressing stereotypes and social norms that lead to discrimination.
The digital gender divide is a challenge that must be resolved, and there is no reason for women to lag behind in the digital transformation. The cost of inaction is high and will affect society as a whole. Together, we must act to ensure that all individuals can benefit from the opportunities provided by the digital age.
This year the theme for International Women’s Day is ‘DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.’ While we celebrate the “International Day of Rural Women” on 15th October, we are also reminded of the unique challenges faced by women in rural areas, who often confront a more pronounced digital gender divide. Yet, it also emphasizes their untapped potential and the imperative to empower them digitally.
Rural women, when given the means and opportunities, can be engines of economic growth, sources of innovation, and agents of positive change within their communities.
On this important occasion, let us acknowledge the progress we’ve made and the road ahead. We have seen the digital revolution’s remarkable growth, but we have also identified the disparities and challenges that persist. It is our collective responsibility to act, ensuring that every woman, regardless of her location, has the chance to harness the potential of the digital age.
Together, let us act with urgency, solidarity, and determination. Let us pave the way for a future where technology truly empowers all, where women’s voices are heard, and where the digital transformation knows no gender barriers.
Watch: 4 Badass Rural Women Who Made History
The lead image at the top shows a father enabling his daughter to use a smartphone (Photo taken from Shutterstock)
