The Social ION
Year : 2013, Volume : 2, Issue : 1
First page : ( 31) Last page : ( 43)
Print ISSN : 2319-3581. Online ISSN : 2456-7523.

ICT and women empowerment

Dr. Fatmi Syed Nadeem

School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India. Email: snfatmi@gmail.com

Online published on 27 June, 2017.

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are a diverse set of technological tools and resources to create, disseminate, store, bring value addition and manage information. ICT sector consists of segments as diverse as telecommunication, television and radio broadcasting, computer hardware, software and services and electronic media, i.e. internet and electronic mail. ICTs are emerging as a powerful tool for gender empowerment in a developing country like India. There has been rapid growth in ICT sector since the late 1980s and the use of ICT has dramatically expanded since the 1990s. The internet account is growing at a very fast rate but still there is a strong digital divide in society. The gender digital divide in India is characterized by low levels of access to technologies, poverty, lack of computer literacy and language barriers are among the factors impeding access to ICT infrastructure especially in developing countries. This paper looks at the scope created by ICT enabled networking processes for women's empowerment. It discusses the main challenges and limitations faced by women, suggests strategies to address the challenges and ways to improve the conditions leading to women's empowerment.

Top

Keywords

ICT, Digital Divide, Internet, Gender, Empowerment.

Top