Gender Equality In Indian ICT

Gender Equality In Indian ICT

In India, where women have traditionally taken a back seat in daily life, information technology (ICT) is bringing about a revolution in gender equality.

One driver of that revolution is the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras who established a scheme which gives women the opportunity to become proprietors of internet cafes and kiosks all over the country. Women who had little or no experience of information technology prior to IIT's initiative now run over 80% of these establishments. Asha Sanjay, of the IIT in Madras said that in some places people cannot get a bus to the next village. But using the internet they can nevertheless connect to the world at the click of a button.

The immediate social impact of ICT is exemplified by the women in Ms. Sanjay's village where women aged 60 or over queue up for an online consultation with an eye specialist thousands of miles away using video-conferencing technology. Whilst none of these women have ever left their village, many claim to be captivated by the new world afforded by the internet.

But why did IIT, via its nominated intermediary Enlog, choose women as the focus of their scheme? According to Gram Annand of Enlog, women are more focused and able pick up the requirements of this new environment more quickly. They also demonstrate greater dedication to their work, frequently coming into work at 6:30am when the normal working day starts between 9:00 and 9:30am. One example of this energy and drive is Ananti aged 21 who is the only woman in her village to have a diploma and a paid job. She said that as a girl she found it difficult to leave her village, deal with the hardships that it took to get a diploma, and then come back. However, having overcome those obstacles she now wants to use ICT to help the people in her village become educated and live a better life.

In the Muslim district of Malappuram the changes that ICT has wrought is even more marked. A young woman, Jaseela, who would previously have been expected to dedicate her life to marriage and children has instead obtained a degree in economics, and with the help of a bank loan set up an e-learning centre in her community. The government has since declared the three million strong district e-literate on the basis that at least one of member of each household is computer literate. An achievement in its own right of course, but even more striking when one considers that it was brought about in an area where women normally only leave the home for a visit to the doctor or to go shopping. Jaseela seems to be breaking this traditional mould as approximately fifty per cent of the people she trains are women, and she is nurturing ambitions to grow her business of 637 training centres alongside the development of eCommerce on the internet.

The Institute of Technology in Kanpur has taken a different and more novel approach to improving computer literacy by mounting computer equipment on the back of specially modified bicycle rickshaws. These rugged vehicles, which are light yet strong enough to withstand the rigours of Indian country roads, bring ICT training to six villages in Uttar Pradesh. Whilst the classes delivered by this specially cushioned equipment cover only the basics of what we would consider to be simple office software skills, in areas where around half the population cannot read or write, the value of such classes to the local population is far greater. The economic upheaval that this will bring is already evident in the rapid growth of the Indian ICT industry. But the social effects amongst the female population perhaps can be foretold by the experience of one young teenager whose parents want to train her in more domestic skills and then see her married by the time she reaches eighteen. However, this young lady, who keeps her attendance at ICT classes a secret from her family, has other ideas. Preferring instead to make a career for herself and see the world before she entertains any possibility of settling down to the life that her parents are planning for her.



	In India, where women have traditionally taken a back seat in daily life, information technology (ICT) is bringing about a revolution in gender equality. One driver of that revolution is the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras who established a scheme which gives women the opportunity to become proprietors of internet cafes and kiosks all over the country. Women who had little or no experience of information technology prior to IIT's initiative now run over 80% of these establishments. Asha Sanjay, of the IIT in Madras said that in some places people cannot get a bus to the next village. But using the internet they can nevertheless connect to the world at the click of a button. The immediate social impact of ICT is exemplified by the women in Ms. Sanjay's village where women aged 60 or over queue up for an online consultation with an eye specialist thousands of miles away using video-conferencing technology. Whilst none of these women have ever left their village, many claim to be captivated by the new world afforded by the internet. But why did IIT, via its nominated intermediary Enlog, choose women as the focus of their scheme? According to Gram Annand of Enlog, women are more focused and able pick up the requirements of this new environment more quickly. They also demonstrate greater dedication to their work, frequently coming into work at 6:30am when the normal working day starts between 9:00 and 9:30am. One example of this energy and drive is Ananti aged 21 who is the only woman in her village to have a diploma and a paid job. She said that as a girl she found it difficult to leave her village, deal with the hardships that it took to get a diploma, and then come back. However, having overcome those obstacles she now wants to use ICT to help the people in her village become educated and live a better life. In the Muslim district of Malappuram the changes that ICT has wrought is even more marked. A young woman, Jaseela, who would previously have been expected to dedicate her life to marriage and children has instead obtained a degree in economics, and with the help of a bank loan set up an e-learning centre in her community. The government has since declared the three million strong district e-literate on the basis that at least one of member of each household is computer literate. An achievement in its own right of course, but even more striking when one considers that it was brought about in an area where women normally only leave the home for a visit to the doctor or to go shopping. Jaseela seems to be breaking this traditional mould as approximately fifty per cent of the people she trains are women, and she is nurturing ambitions to grow her business of 637 training centres alongside the development of eCommerce on the internet. The Institute of Technology in Kanpur has taken a different and more novel approach to improving computer literacy by mounting computer equipment on the back of specially modified bicycle rickshaws. These rugged vehicles, which are light yet strong enough to withstand the rigours of Indian country roads, bring ICT training to six villages in Uttar Pradesh. Whilst the classes delivered by this specially cushioned equipment cover only the basics of what we would consider to be simple office software skills, in areas where around half the population cannot read or write, the value of such classes to the local population is far greater. The economic upheaval that this will bring is already evident in the rapid growth of the Indian ICT industry. But the social effects amongst the female population perhaps can be foretold by the experience of one young teenager whose parents want to train her in more domestic skills and then see her married by the time she reaches eighteen. However, this young lady, who keeps her attendance at ICT classes a secret from her family, has other ideas. Preferring instead to make a career for herself and see the world before she entertains any possibility of settling down to the life that her parents are planning for her.