WOMAN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ICT- A SURVEY OF INDIA

Different computer based technologies popularly called as ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) are different set of technological tools and resources to create, propagate, amass, brings value addition and manages information. This paper tries to focus varied prospects generated by ICT supported networking processes for women's empowerment. It also includes and highlights foremost challenges and a obstruction confronted by women and advocates strategies to address those challenges and means to refurbish the situations giving rise to women's empowerment. It is well unstated that any venture to refurbish the quality of life of people in developing countries would be uncompleted without the empowerment of women. ICT's are technological machinery and assets to create, socialize, amass, bring value-addition and manage information. The ICT sector embraces different sectors such as telecommunications, television and radio broadcasting, computer hardware, software and services and electronic media etc. ICTs are swelling as a powerful instrument for gender empowerment in a developing country like India. As per 2004 report by Cisco Learning Institute women encompass only 23% of India's internet users. This gender digital divide is characterized by low levels of access to technologies. Poverty, lack of computer illiterateness and language barricades are among the issues impeding access to ICT infrastructure. This paper looks at the prospects formed by ICT-enabled networking processes for women's empowerment. It discusses the main challenges and impediments faced by women, recommends strategies to address those challenges and ways to cultivate the conditions leading to women's empowerment.