WOMEN'S DIGITAL LITERACY

Digital literacy is critical in the 21st century. Becoming ‘tech-savvy’ took off in the early 2000s, but when Prime Minister Modi announced the National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) in 2014, digitisation and digital literacy became a rapidly expanding focus.

A well implemented digital literacy program can provide adolescents in rural villages with basic computer skills, information about some key applications, how to use the internet for accessing information about government schemes and services, to access other online information, understand village governance, and gain life skills training in areas such as decision-making, communication skills, understanding their feelings, negotiation skills, etc.

Digital literacy sessions, coupled with life skills training, can help the rural youth in villages to gain exposure to concepts beyond textbooks and theory. The exposure that young people have with computer devices and Internet applications help them build their vocabulary and their knowledge.

As a result, digital literacy is an empowering tool to combat low literacy rates.

Key Challenges

Recommendations

Family

Encourage elders to learn
Encourage use of digital payment
Encourage children especially girls to use updated technology
Discouragement should be removed on the basis of gender

Community

Educate society through NGOs
Encourage women to participate in digital awareness programmes
Put an end to gossips about women
Awareness about digital literacy through media

Goverment

Providing online courses in skill development for girls
Providing facility of computer classes in rural areas
Importance of digital literacy through Anganwadi and DWCRA members
Conduct programmes for use of internet security