Gender inequality threatens to erode all-round developmental societal gains. In many traditional Indian societies, coercive control from the male counterparts repeatedly makes women feel controlled, dependent, and compelled to either quit their existing livelihood after marriage or choose marriage over career. Bias against women stems from assumptions about how women should act, behave and conduct.
The Mobile Gender Gap 2021 Report notes that within the Asia-Pacific, India fares the one of the worst with the widest gender digital divide with only 15% of women accessing internet. Recent report highlights 25% of the total adult female population owns a smartphone versus 41% men. Reasons for this- include harmful biases that exist in the “offline” world affecting potential benefits in women’s livelihoods, and education outcomes leading to only an 18.6% of working-age Indian women participating in the labour force with the number shrinking further down for women from the lower economic strata.
This in turn violate women’s most basic rights and are multiplied by poverty and prejudice– perpetuating stereotypes of women accommodating ‘traditional occupational’ roles, hence restricting opportunities in the growing digital economy. “By excluding talented, curious and budding women aspirants from digital benefits, we are losing human potential, and intellectual change-makers” alerts Monisha Banerjee, Chief Executive Officer of ANUDIP FOUNDATION, non-profit social enterprise working since 2007 towards economic-empowerment of Indian at-risk youth and vulnerable women through a suite of digital offerings.
Founded by Dipak Basu and Radha Basu, who spent much of their lives employing technology in humanitarian missions worldwide, this non-profit has impacted over 200,000+ girls with low education, women from below poverty levels, minorities, specially-abled from small-income families, rescued young girls who are married off early or forced to exploitation. A background check confirms that ANUDIP beneficiaries get the last priority for nutrition, education and healthcare in a household struggling to survive with a family income of less than $90 to $100 per month (approx INR 7,000 - 8,000). “To ensure that digital gains percolate down to those who need it the most, we reach out to local panchayat bodies, government institutes, community leaders, and government-run shelter-homes from where we can tap at-risk girls with their local guardians/parents and continuously counsel them on how digital skills are core to quality learning, and girls’ empowerment” – confirms Monisha.
This non-profits’ unique campaign Women in Tech from the Margins drives an actionable roadmap to Indian women’s affordability and access to technology, online privacy, social models, digital skills and employability.
In-depth skilling in IT and deep-programming through customized content, and interactive multimedia, makes it compelling for learners to study in a blended learning environment enabling them to communicate with new software/codes effectively with increasing command over English language backed up by English Learning App. What is unique in their curricula is FuturePro, which is a first-of-its-kind unique tech-platform that helps students from low-income groups to become active-learners, curious individuals, good communicators, team players, and problem-solvers. This platform uses gamified general knowledge content to make students become active learners and then demonstrates graphically their progress on building each of the above behaviors. The backend technology captures how students navigate the platform and translates actions into scores on different behaviors making the platform essential to changing the mindset of these girls.
Their intervention Women in Tech from the Margins, has the potential to reimagine education and employment in a way that is inclusive, and equal, focusing on meta skills to prepare deprived women from poorest of poor families- to gain transferable skills like problem-solving, negotiation, communication, and teamwork and positioning them as global citizens ready for equal participation in the 21st century workforce. 350+ employer partners including top MNCs hired ANUDIP graduates who are now taking up what in their communities would be termed as ’atypical of women’ careers - working in cutting edge technologies.
Speaking to one of their graduates in a personal capacity, Asma recalls rebelling her father to join one of the Top 5 IT firms post her training, “When I got my first job, Abba said ‘I don’t want you to go and work outside’. Today Asma is funding her brothers’ education and has become the primary bread-earner. Ramiya, a Digital Photogrammery Engineer in a reputed digital services company in southern India notes, “Being the first in my family to bring home an income which is 2 times my father’s earnings, I gained the privilege of taking key family decisions.” Financial stability with the tag of being the highest earning member in their families, these girls like Asma and Ramiya have gained acceptance of the wife/daughter for technology-based jobs with first-hand access to information, health, awareness and decision making.
With this new dignity in social space, these girls from remote corners of India are poised to take on the future, being role models within their community addressing gender discrimination against other peers and encouraging more women in 21st century careers. Social initiatives like this run by such non-profits are proven capable of bringing systemic change in the Indian social expectations shattered myths of women’s pre-defined roles, driving hope in equality, inclusion and human potential.