Why women lag and why they may lead

This article traces trends related to women's Internet use in India, and its implications for their financial wellbeing. According to this author, studies have begun to show that women outnumber men in Internet use. She cites Ramani (2000), who found that growth of Internet kiosks in India has been rapid, especially in the Southern Indian states (where English literacy is high). These kiosks create low-cost jobs (approximately $2,500 per job). Ramini also noted that Internet usage skills are also spread at low cost, which facilitates teleworking. A survey in 8 Indian cities showed that non-working women access the Internet 63% of the time from cybercafes and 32% of the time from home. While women with few resources and language/literacy barriers need support, this article notes, computers have begun improving life in Indian villages.

"Telework", which is work done from a distance using information and communication technologies (ICTs), is an area that Indian women are increasingly attracted to for its flexibility and ease of integration with reproductive roles; others deem it a low-wage, isolating activity without benefits (thus making women vulnerable to exploitation). The author notes that "the Internet itself can help to organize and build solidarity with and between people working from home offices. It can break down isolation, aid job related concerted action, or just increase information, opportunities and interaction. Developing country and rural women, who produce goods and services, may be able to sell directly without going through middlemen."

The author concludes that "There is evidence to support the usefulness of ICT in benefitting women who are aware of this - their use of such technologies is rising steadily. Women choose more self and home employment, except when they want to escape a patriarchal household. Despite initial fears of being left behind, women are overtaking men in use of the Internet. Companies are intentionally using teleworking to utilize skilled women who have left full time work, and to maintain the skills of their young female employees. Existing perceptions and power structure trouble female employees, at the low end specially, and decrease the availability of training in the requisite skills for young women. Self-doubt and technology phobias compound these problems. The distortions imply that special policies will help to attain full benefits of the new technologies and aid their faster adoption."

Click here for the full article on the id4 site.

Source

id4 Newsletter Volume 1 Number 3 (September - October 2003) forwarded to the bytesforall_readers list server on November 6 2003 (click here to access the archives).