ICTs and Empowerment of Indian Rural Women: What can we learn from on-going initiatives

[Knowledge base]

  Authors: Rasheed Sulaiman V, N. J Kalaivani, Nimisha Mittal and P Ramsundaram

  Source: CRISP Working Paper, March 2011-001

Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP), a non-profit research
organization established in March 2004. The aim of the organization is to promote research in the area of innovation policy in relation to agriculture and rural development.

This paper explores the role of ICTs in empowering Indian rural women, through a review of ICT initiatives in India.

  Abstract

There has been a lot of interest during the last two decades in employing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for achieving development. While many of these initiatives have benefited rural women by way of access to new information and new employment opportunities, women still face a number of constraints in accessing ICTs.

This paper explores the role of ICTs in empowering Indian rural women, through a review of ICT initiatives in India. The paper concludes that, while most of the ICT initiatives are disseminating new information and knowledge useful for rural women, many are not able to make use of it, due to lack of access to complementary sources of support and services. Among the varied tools, the knowledge centres and the community radio were found to have the greatest potential in reaching women with locally relevant content.

There is immense potential for ICTs to create new employment opportunities for rural women and to contribute significant gains in efficiency and effectiveness in rural women enterprises. While ICTs can play an important role in empowering rural women, women’s access and use of ICTs and empowerment clearly depends on the vision and operational agenda of the organization applying the ICTs.

Therefore, strengthening the ICT initiative of such organizations can go a long way in empowering rural women. Besides generating locally relevant content and enhancing the capacities of rural women in accessing ICTs, efforts are also needed to bridge the different types of digital divide (rural-urban; men-women).

  Paper is available here: http://www.crispindia.org/docs/CRISP%20Working%20Paper-ICTs%20and%20Empowerment%20of%20Women.pdf