women equality

Emerging Trends of Women in the IT Profession – India


Introduction:

India has emerged as one of well recognized developing countries that is serving the Globe with its Information Technology Industry contribution. Women personalities like Sarojini Naidu & Indira Gandhi made India proud by leading from the front. Today, there are many such women who have been the backbone of the recognition that India has achieved in ICT business. A silent revolution is taking place with evolution of women empowerment in the knowledge era. They are getting the best access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education, employment opportunity & becoming owners of IT companies.

The purpose of this presentation is to map the emerging trends in India on the role of Women in Information & Communication Technology and look at what could happen in future, if this trend continues and is maintained with gender equality.

ICT access & emerging trend in education:

In the past decades, Indian economy was more determined by Agricultural & Industrial sector growth. However, last 10 Years especially from 1995, the dependency on Information Technology for building its economy is very explicitly visible. This is demonstrated by virtue of IT industry Foreign Exchange earning being the # 2 contributor to Indian Foreign Exchange reserves and comfortable balance of payment position. IT industry turnover of US $ 16500 Million in 2002-03 contributes 3.15% of National GDP. This is higher than the 2.87% in 2001-02 Can Indian men alone could have got the economy spiral to this extent? The answer is an obvious “NO”. In a country where 50% of the population is women, who else could have supported this revolution and remarkable turn around!! The obvious answer is “Indian Women in IT”.

In the early 80’s there were hardly few students who took to Computer Science. Women amongst them were very handful. Communication infrastructure and Curriculum support for literacy in computer was at a nascent stage at that time. Access to Information and Communication Technology itself was limited and was available only to those who could afford its cost. For example getting a telephone line, purchasing a computer & software were not that easy to reach the masses in India.

Twenty years down the line there has been dramatic and systematic change in access to ICT. Affordability, Reach, Current Technology, Academic support, Human Resource training, Employment opportunity, Global Connectivity etc in ICT segment have been rapidly transforming Indian economy and its citizen’s way of life. Educated Women have had significant breakthrough by breaking the traditional household, child rearing, socially oppressed life style, because of access to ICT. Testimony to this is the enrollment in engineering education and the growing literacy level even amongst the rural women. Government of India through its “National Programme for Education of Girls in Elementary Level (NPEGEL) with an outlay of US$ 230 Million & reach in 21 States has created enough synergy to improve rural female literacy and gender gap in the educationally backward blocks. Co-education in almost all schools, colleges and exclusive women academic institutions have shown the door for more girls to pursue studies of their interest. Prominent amongst the preferred education currently is ICT field. This emerging trend is basically due to “WOMEN” being equally recognized for their ability and contribution in “KNOWLEDGE” oriented industry with less of physical and masculine demands for execution of work.