Indian women and their status
Being a developing country, India has a long way to go before achieving gender equality. Still now, the lives of many women in many parts of India are miserable. Patriarchy still wants to claim superiority over its female counterpart. In some parts of India, Indian women are still denied their right to education. It needs to be understood that almost half of the country’s population comprises women. Properly educating this neglected half of the country will prove to be beneficial for the country as a whole. Be it social, economical, or political sphere.
In the modern world, education is not complete without having knowledge of the developing technology. Giving women equal access to education and technology will enrich them as confident and capable individuals. Being able to earn their livelihood, women will not only add to the family’s economy but to that of the country as a whole.
In addition to the tyranny brought on by gender disparity, women become the victim of several horrifying crimes as a result of it. If the level of digital literacy rises in the women community, we’ll be able to solve a lot of problems caused by gender disparity. Women will be able to take part in online campaigns to oppose crimes against women, domestic violence, child marriage, etc. as they become more digitally educated. Women can use social media to protest, keep safe, and lessen the number of crimes against them in the digital era.
Also read: “Why Highly Sensitive Women Need Low Stress Jobs?“
What is Digital Literacy?
For people to function in today’s society and use technologies in a meaningful and varied way, they need to have a basic comprehension of, and the capability to use digital media. Digital literacy is defined as the proficiency with common operating systems and software programs, as well as the usage of computers, smartphones, the internet, e-banking, websites, and e-commerce platforms. In addition to academic degrees, digital and internet literacy is a crucial and useful tool for empowering women in the workforce.
Importance of Digital literacy –
Being digitally literate has become an important factor for creating one’s presence and identity in the modern world. Digital literacy adds to the efficiency of the individual. It also increases accessibility and improves the quality of life.
Digital skills have become necessary for everyday use. It makes life easier and helps to excel in one’s job. An individual has to be driven in learning digital technologies to keep up with the modern world.
Technology is essential for achieving gender equality. The modern world is increasingly running online. It is important for every individual, irrespective of the gender, to adapt to the changes and become self sufficient.
Why do Indian women need to be digitally literate?
It is remarkable that men and women in India have very different levels of digital literacy. Less than 29% of Indian women use the internet. However, it is not astonishing that there are more than 52% male internet users in India. While the number of female internet users is expanding far more slowly, the number of male internet users is joining at an astounding rate every day. Due to their lack of computer literacy, most women continue to rely on men for a variety of needs. These circumstances cause them to lack self-assurance in their communication abilities, have low self-esteem, inability to use the internet for daily tasks, have a limited understanding of the ways of the world, and even engage in digital transactions.
Ironically, the majority of women rely on males to perform digital literacy-based duties like creating presentations or conducting online transactions.
Remember that women become more efficient, productive, career-oriented, conscious of the need to establish their own business, and financially independent when they have better access to education and digital literacy.
Another noteworthy aspect is the contribution financially independent women make to the national economy. So, it is really very important for women to have digital literacy. Women who have access to and knowledge of digital technologies and the Internet may be more productive, and career focused. Women can start their own businesses, fight for their rights, and become financially independent with the help of basic education, exposure to the Internet, and other digital technologies. This has long-term positive effects on society and the nation.
Why digital literacy is important for women?
1. Increased awareness
For the betterment of the economy, it is important that women become aware of their potential. This will lead to less violence in the society. Gender inequalities often lead to weakening of families, community and the nation as a whole. If we seek gender equality, women must have similar understanding of the digital medium.
Digital literacy and access to social media enables women to educate themselves. It enables them to find answers to all their queries, be well informed, which leads to self-awareness.
With the vast amount of information available online, women can enrich their knowledge, develop new interests and acquire skills in the comfort of their homes.
Being self-aware is necessary for being self-confident, refining thought process and enhancing lifestyle.
Related read: “Women in Business and Gender Inequality Around the World – 2022“
2. Economic participation –
A significant step in women empowerment is digital literacy. It leads them in the right direction with greater control over their money. If women have access to internet banking and digital skill development programmes, they can take a step forward in the right direction to start their own business.
This may improve their family’s financial status and even the community as a whole will gain economically.
Giving equal digital access and opportunity to women to participate in economic field is very important for the country’s development.
3. Breaking through traditional barriers
In developing countries like India, women are still confined within the threshold of their house. Their participation in social activities is very limited or is thought to be superfluous. This, in turn, leads to the restriction of their opportunities to learn and grow.
Digital literacy does not solve the problem of confining a woman within four walls. But it opens new doors for them by providing access to learning resources in the comfort of their homes. It also allows women to know about their rights and stand up for themselves.
Being digitally literate will enable women to participate in digital campaigns. They can learn about their rights, the discrimination in the society, the laws which safeguard their status as individuals. In this way, they can protest crimes against women and do their bit in protecting the female community.
4. Information
Women who are technologically literate become more informed. By having access to the internet, which is a treasure of knowledge, they become more informed. Women who have better access to knowledge can make decisions in life well equipped, learn something new, and acquire new interests and talents. Women who are computer proficient have the opportunity to access worldwide knowledge and real-time updates.
5. Safety
As women start understanding the importance of digital literacy, they also need to have the knowledge of potential threats. Cybercrimes like cyberbullying, copywrite issues, malware attacks, online exploitation, etc. have increased over time. Women also need to have the knowledge of how to protect themselves from the cybercrimes. There are many risks associated with the use of technology. One has to know how to safeguard their personal information online. In order to understand the good online safety practices, women have to be digitally literate. This way they can be cautious, good and happy internet users.