Smartphones in Rural India
By Manisha Dhulipala
Gender Equality is the 5th goal among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations. The Constitution of India also recognises the principle of gender equality in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, and under the Directive Principles of State Policy. Despite the recognition, the concept needs to be established in everyday life.
Gender equality in the realm of technology is a matter of rights, going beyond questions of justice. Technology in today’s times is meant to foster sustainability and inclusion, not breakdown and division. Tracing the history of technological education in India, it has been observed that roughly 1% female students enrol in the engineering stream. According to Reena Patel and Mary Jane’s research paper in the Information Technologies and International Development journal (2005), data was different in the computer science programme in the 1980s, which initially had significant female representation of nearly two-thirds, but over the last four decades, female participation has dropped sharply. This can be attributed to structural and financial shifts that are enjoyed by male participation and dominance in technological fields. In contrast, earlier eras saw less legacy in the field and fewer gatekeeping barriers, which allowed more women to enter computing.
An industry report by Generation India (2024), stated that diversity is essential in bringing in innovation and driving success. Companies with a more gender-diverse workforce are 15% more likely to outperform the less diverse counterparts, and it is now a stated fact that a more diverse group will always bring in creative solutions, a broader range of perspectives, and is more likely to retain talent. Diversity is critical in technology, as it enables companies to create better and safer products that would ideally be considered by everyone.
A student from the Kautilya School of Public Policy (Hyderabad) conducted a research study, which highlighted a story of resilience and innovation from a village in Hyderabad. An 18-year-old girl who, despite not owning a smartphone—not even a basic model—found ways to engage and utilise the digital platforms. Whenever she got the opportunity to access her brother’s phone, she helped her mother sell pickles through WhatsApp and Instagram, promoting them. Such narratives are not just heart-warming—they underscore the urgent need to address digital inequity and gendered access to technology.
Limited phone access is common, but stories like hers are rare. In most villages, women rarely use the internet themselves. Fear of deception or harm makes them hesitant to use smartphones, leaving digital tasks to the men in the household.
Oxfam India (2022) found women were 15% less likely to own a mobile phone and 33% less likely to use mobile internet than men. Gadgets offer opportunity, but without digital access and literacy, those chances become redundant—limiting access to education, jobs, and online public services.
As per the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum, the IT sector has one of the biggest gender gaps in economic participation and opportunity. Women represent 28.2% of the technology workforce globally, emphasising a substantial underrepresentation in an industry. The report estimated that it would take 134 years to achieve gender parity at the current rate.
Another critical factor is the normalisation of the “gender binary,” which overlooks other genders and identities. This becomes even more pronounced in the digital spaces, where inclusivity often falls short.
According to a UNESCO report in 2022, globally, women constitute less than 30% of professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. As per the Alliance for Affordable Internet, a 2023 World Bank Report, 32 low and middle-income countries were analysed for the gender gap in internet use, which brought out a staggering loss of USD 126 billion in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Hence, gender disparity is not only a social imperative but also an economic one, especially for the developing countries that are already struggling with a huge digital gender divide.
Gender disparity remains a global issue across sectors. The 2023 report by the Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative at Virginia Tech highlights that over one-third of women in agriculture lack land rights and decision-making power. This stems from structural barriers like biased norms, unpaid care burdens, and exclusion from leadership. Bridging these gaps is vital for food security, economic growth, and women’s livelihoods.
In the Indian context, in the field of education, technology and gender intersect. Data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (GoI), 2024–2025, the female literacy rate was recorded as approximately 77.7% and the male literacy rate of 84.7%. In higher education, women constitute nearly 49.3% of the total enrolment. Data from 2023–2024 indicates high female participation in higher education, with a higher Gender Parity Index (GPI) at the higher secondary and undergraduate levels.
In many rural families, societal norms discourage sending children—especially girls—to school. Remote locations exacerbate the situation. Shortage of quality teachers, limited proficiency in the local language, poor instructional quality, and inadequate access to technology further add to the burden.
Access to digital infrastructure is a right, not a privilege. Technology has limits—data security, privacy, and protection from surveillance are vital for safe digital systems. Technology can reshape gendered realities, fostering independence and empowerment, but it is also used to control and restrict women, reinforcing inequalities.
Though empowering, digital platforms can be hostile for women—harassment, stereotyping, and trolling silence voices and limit engagement. Technology can transcend barriers but also reinforce them. Gender-sensitive policies, rooted in local realities and shaped by communities, must use digital tools for access and active policymaking.
Technology and digital inclusion drive development, impacting health, finance, labour, and access to basic amenities for minorities and vulnerable groups. Disaggregated data by gender, religion, caste, and income is vital to understanding the gender divide. The employment growth of women needs critical interpretation to assess real empowerment versus unpaid, low-value work.
Procedural fairness in forums and technology design, equal participation opportunities, and harassment-free spaces strengthen digital inclusion. Moving beyond account ownership to active digital financial usage empowers women. Promoting quality employment through skill development, wage improvements, policies combining social engineering, localised interventions, sectoral strategies, and technology support can turn female labour entry into sustained empowerment. A data-driven national debate on inclusive technology can reduce gender and social inequalities. Policies must protect vulnerable groups and foster innovation without systemic harm.
(CDPP’s Gender & Inclusion Conference, 2025, with the theme, “Exploring the Intersection of Gender, Technology and Socio-Economic Empowerment,” was held on August 8th & 9th in Hyderabad. This article is based on the discussion by various speakers.)
Manisha Dhulipala is a Senior Research Fellow at CDPP. She holds a double masters in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development. Her areas of research interest include public health, environmental sustainability, development, education, and gender.
This post was last modified on September 24, 2025 7:16 pm