Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Many women have no access to the internet. On IWD 2023, let’s address why this is so, and look for ways to breach this gap, crucial for their empowerment today..
“The internet could be a very empowering place for girls and women, but only if we’re willing to recognize the challenges that exist and commit to working together to solve them,” says Melinda Gates.
Surely you must have noticed that some of us own two extremely powerful tools- a mobile phone and an internet connection. The two tools which let us explore and conquer worlds with a click. While a digital presence is ubiquitous today, make a note when I say only some of us have access to it.
The Mobile Gender Gap 2022 report revealed that only 26% of Indian adult women used smartphones in 2021, compared to 49% of men. Even among them, only 30% of women used mobile internet in 2020, compared to 41% of men.
The data collated shows us the gendered digital divide prevalent in India. More so, it shows us that women with access to mobile phones or the internet do not necessarily have a digital presence. While technology is gender agnostic, women remain distant from the virtual world for various reasons.
As we celebrate the theme of ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’ on International Women’s Day, let’s address this issue. Let’s question why women are absent from digital spaces despite the available resources in search of solutions to bridge the gap.
As the Founder of Women’s Web, I have spent over a decade building a digital platform that connects women pan India. When I see the numbers in the report cited above, I find the need to question the barriers that keep women away from the virtual world. What stops women from using digital resources even when they have a phone and a connection?
Unsafe digital spaces
My team and I often discuss the unscrupulous comments subjected to our contributors by faceless trolls. Note here I draw a line between negative criticism and trolling. The former is based on individual opinions and is acceptable, but the latter refers to unjustified comments and threats.
Why do our contributors receive such comments? Merely for having an opinion or expressing a thought that shatters the principles and self-esteem of patriarchal elements.
Cyberbullying has become common today, and women are judged disproportionately for their online presence. Lack of safety is one of the reasons women hesitate to use digital spaces. How can women be comfortable online when such restrictions envelop them?
Restricted access to personal devices
While intolerant trolls harass women online, societal norms steal their autonomy to use personal devices. Some communities highly discourage girls from using mobiles and the internet under the pretext of respect and safety. As a result of such barriers, girls and women are curbed from the virtual world and lose out on access to education, information, and development.
Digital illiteracy
The low levels of female literacy also translate into their digital illiteracy. Talented women are deprived of their digital presence as language and technological barriers hinder their journey. On the other hand, some women with language access refrain from using digital media because of the fear of technology. How can external sources equip women to be digitally literate?
Low internet connectivity
Making an online presence can be difficult for populations living in remote areas without reliable internet connectivity. As a result, the wider world remains unaware of their abilities. Imagine the progress women in these spaces can make when they present their skills to the developing world through reliable websites.
As we address these problems that hinder women’s presence in the digital world, let us seek innovative solutions to bring women on the virtual map.
Working toward progress is an ongoing task. As we list the problems that encircle women from onboarding on their digital journey, we also chart solutions that help women build their digital path. Upon reading through the barriers women face, I believe there are ways in which we can help women get better digital exposure. Here’s how women can be a part of the virtual world:
Include more women in tech
The first thing we need to make digital spaces approachable for women is women in tech. Here’s how they can help:
Empathetic women in tech can design safe platforms for women. With an understanding of women’s problems, they can create websites and applications that have an in-built safety mechanism. As a result, more women can feel safe online.
As more women explore the technological world, they can ask for policies expanding on women’s digital safety and rights.
The innovators can bring in diverse ideas which utilize the digital medium to empower women further.
Women in tech can act as role models for other women and encourage them to be the next-gen leaders in tech.
Build feasible digital spaces
With problems such as digital illiteracy and the fear of technology that women experience, we need easily accessible websites. Attributes include:
# Websites and applications that tackle language barriers
# Digital spaces which are accessible for someone with even a low reading proficiency
# Web pages that require a minimal internet connection to perform tasks
# Provision of easily accessible tutorials to teach consumers how to use the website
# Websites with humane designs and in-built safety provisions.
Improve provisions for online presence
Digital illiteracy often hinders talented female entrepreneurs from converting their local business into digital marketplace. With digital education, we can accelerate the presence of women online. Through these resources, they can generate monetary and intellectual capital.
Government policies such as Pradhan Mantri Digital Saksharta Abhiyan are already paving the path to success. Organizations such as the United Nations also proclaim that digital equality is a human right and also women must have access to this space.
We also require mechanisms that educate social communities about the advantages of the digital medium for women to flourish. In-person digital training, better internet connectivity, and well-scheduled workshops on digital literacy can help women across the country become tech-savvy.
As IWD’23 welcomes another year of empowerment and growth, let us contribute to solutions that nurture DigitALL. Only when virtual spaces become safe and accessible for all women can we celebrate our rights to digital equality.
Research and writing support provided by Rhea Sakhardande.
Image source: shutterstock
Founder & Chief Editor of Women's Web, Aparna believes in the power of ideas and conversations to create change. She has been writing since she was ten. In another life, she used to be read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address