THE CONTEXT: India’s economic growth has been predominantly driven by the services sector, bypassing traditional industrialization. However, the country’s progress is hindered by a significant digital gender divide, which limits women’s access to high-productivity business services.
THE ISSUES:
- India’s Unique Growth Trajectory: India has experienced a services-led growth pattern, bypassing the traditional industrialization phase. The services sector accounts for 55% of India’s GVA (gross value added). The industry remains stagnant at 27% share of GVA. Business services have grown annually by 8.2% over the past two decades.
- Digital Gender Divide: There is a significant digital gender divide in India, which refers to gender differences in resources and capabilities to utilize ICT effectively. Only 2.2% of employed women in India work in business services. 85% of working women are informally employed. The gender gap in mobile ownership narrowed to 11% in 2022.
- Low application usage: Mobile internet adoption among women remains at 30%, with a 40% gender gap. Only 30% of women know how to use the internet to find necessary information, operate mobile money, or access apps and e-services. Indian women are 33% less likely than men to use mobile internet.
- Barriers to Women’s Participation in High-Skilled Jobs: Several barriers prevent women from entering high-productivity services. There is a lack of adequately qualified individuals for high-skilled jobs. There is a low representation of women with the necessary technical skills. Business services also have higher ICT task intensity than other sectors. There is also insufficient training for low-skilled workers in digital technologies.
- Impact on Structural Transformation: The digital gender divide affects India’s structural transformation. Women are left out of the services-led growth experience. Gender segregation persists in employment across sectors. The mobility of the female labor force towards business services is constrained.
- Government Initiatives and Shortcomings: The ‘Digital India’ initiative, launched in 2014 by the Government of India, lacks explicit gender-disaggregated training targets. It fails to recognize that women’s internet usage may not increase with the national deployment of digital technologies.
THE WAY FORWARD:
- Expand Digital Infrastructure in Rural Areas: Invest heavily in expanding broadband connectivity and mobile network coverage in rural areas, focusing on reaching women. The BharatNet project aims to connect all 250,000+ village panchayats with high-speed broadband. As of 2023, over 183,000 panchayats have been connected.
- Provide Affordable Devices and Data Plans: Offer subsidized smartphones and low-cost data plans specifically targeted at rural women. The “Internet Saathi” program by Google and Tata Trusts provided smartphones and training to over 80,000 women across 300,000 villages, reaching 30 million rural women.
- Implement Large-Scale Digital Literacy Programs: Launch nationwide digital literacy initiatives focused on women and girls, especially in rural areas. The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan aims to make 60 million rural households digitally literate.
- Promote Women’s Participation in STEM Education: Encourage girls to pursue STEM subjects through scholarships, mentorship programs, and awareness campaigns. The “She Loves Tech” initiative in India provides mentorship and funding to women-led tech startups, supporting over 5000 entrepreneurs since 2015.
- Create Women-Centric Digital Content and Services: Develop digital content and services tailored to women’s needs and interests in local languages. The “Mobile Vaani” platform provides voice-based information services on health, agriculture, and women’s rights in regional languages, reaching over 2 million users across rural India.
- Address Social and Cultural Barriers: Launch awareness campaigns and community programs to challenge gender norms and promote women’s digital empowerment. The “Digital Sakhis” program in Madhya Pradesh trains young women as digital ambassadors who educate other women in their communities, challenging social norms around technology use.
THE CONCLUSION:
India can ensure more inclusive growth by implementing gender-specific digital training and leveraging grassroots initiatives. Such efforts empower women and contribute to a more equitable and robust economic landscape.
UPSC PAST YEAR QUESTIONS:
Q.1 Distinguish between gender equality, gender equity, and women’s empowerment. Why is it important to take gender concerns into account in program design and implementation? 2024
Q.2 Examine the role of ‘Gig Economy’ in the process of empowerment of women in India. 2021
MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q.1 Discuss the role of the ‘digital gender divide’ in constraining women’s participation in high-productivity business services.
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