ICT: AN EMERGING TOOL FOR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

Abstract

The first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, once said, “To awaken the people, it is women who must be awakened; once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, and the nation moves.” In developing countries, women are abused or misused in various sectors. Submissiveness or compliance and servility are in their nature because of the inequality they are facing. Despite the great growth of education in many countries, women are still not considered as equal gender everywhere. The status of women is considered to be minor or inferior even after their great contribution to society. It is the right time for women to stand up for her.

Women's empowerment is a burning issue. Various NGOs are working for the betterment of women and giving them training for self-independence. Goal 5 of sustainable development goals is to  achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. There has been progress over the last decades, but the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.Anonymous (2020).

The government is also taking this issue seriously and has announced various policies in favour of women. In this scenario, information and communication technology also play an important role. Through ICT, women are getting security, awareness, knowledge, employment, confidence, popularity etc. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Women's Empowerment refers to increasing and improving the social, economic, political and legal strength of women to ensure equal rights to women. Women empowerment helps women to control and benefit from resources, assets, income and their own time, as well as the ability to manage risk and improve their economic status and wellbeing. When women get empowered, the whole family gets benefits. Vivek (2021).

There has been progress over the last decades: More girls are going to school, fewer girls are forced into early marriage, more women are serving in parliament, and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality. Still, many women in India and different parts of the world are missing opportunities in various employment sectors, and many segregate them because they are women. Mansi N et al (2021). 

Empower is a multidimensional word that includes social, physical, spiritual, mental, political, and psychological dimensions. Empowerment means personal growth in decision-making, analyzing critical situations, coping with all circumstances, and facing challenges, which will help improve the health and wealth of the nation. With respect to the impact of the pandemic on education, an estimated 27 crore children in India have been affected as a result of school closure. This is worrisome since, in addition to learning, government schools provide mid-day meals to children, which is an essential factor for vulnerable children and girls to attend school. Likewise, with the shift in classes to the digital mode, it will be particularly difficult for girls to access education, mainly because of increased expectations to contribute to household chores. Budget (2021) Access to education is also impacted because of poor access to technology, wherein only an estimated 28% of women have access in rural 
India, while in the urban areas, access is estimated to be 33%.Out of the total allocation towards education in 2020-’21, a mere 0.4% was allocated to women as per the Gender Budget Statement, which is less than sufficient to meet the growing challenges of access to education in light of the pandemic. Sinha B (2019).