By Business India Editorial
I

want to stand on my own feet and get a good job. I have updated my resume and have also registered myself with an online job site. I also want to set up a business on tailoring and sewing”, said Hemlata, a 20-year-old Internet Saathi from Bhagwanpur, a small town in Bihar.

Shrimati, from Viparpur village, a small town of Dholpur District in Rajasthan, recalled how she was unaware of the concept of the internet, and wanted to learn more. However, no one, including her husband or her nephew, helped her in understanding this. It was only when she attended a Self-Help Group (SHG) meeting in her village that she came to know of this programme and instinctively enrolled for the sessions. Shrimati admitted being made fun of, at first. “I was disappointed, but I was also determined. I showed faith in myself, and attended the training sessions,” she said. “My fingers quivered at the idea of touching the screen of a smartphone”, Shrimati quipped immediately after. Today, Hemalata and Shrimati are trained, confident, and fully able to use a smartphone through the Internet Saathi programme.

One of the key barriers for low adoption of Internet amongst women in rural India is the lack of awareness about the Internet and the belief that Internet is not for them. In addition, factors such as affordability, and low literacy rates have also prevented women from using the Internet. India has the world’s second-largest Internet population with over 40 crore users. However, only 35 per cent of the Internet users are women. This is one of the largest technology gender gaps in the world. The gap further widens as we move towards rural India. While Internet penetration among women in metros is now on a par with men, Internet penetration in rural India continues to be extremely low.

In July 2015, Tata Trusts, along with Google, launched a digital literacy programme ‘Internet Saathi’, to help women in rural India understand the benefits of Internet in their day to day life. The programme focusses on training women in rural India to explore the various uses of the Internet. These women go on to become Internet Saathis, who then impart training to women in the larger rural community in their own and in neighbouring villages. The programme is a blend of synergy between the two organisations. While Google provides Internet-enabled devices and has developed the training and curriculum, Tata Trusts, with its vast experience of engaging with rural communities through a network of on-ground implementation partners across India, is instrumental in the roll-out of the initiative.