FY2014 Seminar for Gender Equality Officers andWomen Leaders in the Asia Pacific Region

Country Report
Dr Zoya Ali Rizvi ＆Dr Priti Prabhughate
India

1. Country Profile• Is the 7th largest country
in the world• 2nd most populous• Has an area of 3,287,263
sq km• Has 29 states and 7 union
territories• Fourth largest reserve ofcoal in the world, iron ore,manganese etc• 48.8% of the land isarable• Indus Valley Civilization
the first major Indiancivilization existed from3000 to 1300 BC• The name 'India' isderived from the RiverIndus2

Gender in Context• India is a predominant patriarchal society with hegemonic
norms around gender roles, socialization of men andwomen and rigid expectations from each gender.
• India has in recent years witnessed rapid economic growthwith concomitant rise in urbanization and shifts in values
and norms relating to marriage, relationship and women'sstatus in particular.
• Yet we contradictory trends.
For eg Khap Panchyat

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Country Profile contd

India is home to 1210 million people; of which women are approx
587 million

Source: www. censusindia.gov.in/4

2. Gender Equality Policy• Creating a suitable environment for women through positive
economic and social policies .
• The de-facto enjoyment by women of all human rights andfundamental freedom in all spheres – political, economic, social,
cultural and civil• Equal access to participation and decision making• Equal access for women to health care, education, career andvocational guidance, employment, social security and public officeetc.
• Strengthening legal systems -elimination of all forms of
discrimination and violence against women and girl child• Changing societal attitudes and community practices• Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development process• Building and strengthening partnerships within civil society
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3.Current Situation of Gender Equality in the county• India is home to more than 1.2 billion people (women make up
almost a half (48.4%)• Life expectancy for women is 62.7 yr as compared to 61yr inmen• Literacy Rate for women is 65.5% while for men it is 82.1%• The Gross Enrolment Rate for Sec and Higher Sec School is41.4%• In 2009-10 Universities had 41.4% students as girls• Women make up 25-30% of the workforce in the rural and 1518% in the urban settings.
• Representation of women in Village Panchayats is 37%• India ranked 111th with 62 women parliamentarians sitting inthe Lok Sabha, a small 11.4 per cent of the total 545 MPs**
Source: www. censusindia.gov.in/6

4. Overview of ICTs・Media and Gender in the country
Developments in Communication Technologies
Reduced Geographical Barriers

Enormously enhanced the capacity toaccumulate and access information

Media becomes indispensible in our lives
BUT
THIS IS UNEQUAL ;WITH BIAS TOWARDS WOMEN• Lack of women in media/ ICT administrative posts• Lack of women in technical development and decision making areas• Very few women as producers of information or networking resources
Very reduced possibilities of orienting
technology to address their specific needs

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Overview contd• ICT industry has contributed to India’s economic growth
ICT sector’s contribution to India’s GDP grew from 3.4 % in
2000–01 to 5.9% percent in 2007–2008• Number of phone users in India is high
63.2% of homes have a telephone and 53.2% have a mobile phone.
• Disparity in access to computers and internet (urban and rural)
Just 6.3% of households owned a computer without Internetconnections.
3.1% of households had a computer and Internet access.
8.7% of urban households own computers with Internet accesscomparedwith just 0.7% of rural households.
• Media (usage of print/television/radio)
47.2% households ーtelevision sets, only 19.9% use radios• Television is preferred source of information for most8• Recent survey by GSMA Development Fund and the Cherie
Blair Foundation for Women provides a gendered
breakdown of mobile phones users and owners in India(GSMA and Cherie Blair Foundation for Women (2010)• Only 28 percent of women own a mobile phone compared
to 40 percent of men.
• Another 20 percent of females were found to be“borrowers” of mobile phones through family or friends.
• Access and use among women still favors those with higher
education and income levels, as well as those who live inurban areas.

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Urban-rural Disparity In Access To ICTdata

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ICTs, Gender and Development• E-governancefocus on establishing one-stop-shop for people to accessgovernment schemes/documents/certificate, file complaints
etc.
• Economic empowerment
ICT as an industry and as a tool
• Health
ICTs used to remind women of vaccination schedules,
disseminate information on health• ICT for women’s safety
very recently, new mobile apps have been launched for safetyof women11

5. Case Analysis
Mobile Kunji•An AV job aid designed for front-line health workers (FLHWs).
•The 40 phone-sized cards are illustrated with key messages on family
health and planning, pregnancy and postnatal care for children up to twoyears of age.
•Each card has a unique seven-digit mobile short code that can be dialledon the FLHW’s mobile phone.
•Partnership between a State government, Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation (BMGF) and BBC Media Action (India).
•89,171 users have accessed 21, 32,420 minutes of information since thestart in 2012.
•200,000 health workers have been trained on the mobile application•Enhanced interpersonal communication has resulted to improve thequality of home visits (plan to scale up by 2015)12

5. Case Analysis contd
Kilkari•Phone call to registered mothers as a family timeline service•Automated IVR calls sent as a pre-recorded call made to the registeredphone of families who have subscribed to it.
•Provides time sensitive information related to pregnancy, child birth andchild care.
•Used as a pilot in a state in India
Mobile Academy•Place to train FLHW to deliver life saving information to millions offamilies•IVR based Certificate programme providing voice lectures and quizzes
over 190 minutes for knowledge enhancement•More than 39,000 workers trained till now•Being piloted

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6. Best Practices : to enhance inclusion of womenand girls in information society (by MoHFW, India)
I. Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS)•Captures information on and track all pregnant women and children (0-5Years) so that they receive ‘full’ MCH Services•2,18,22,364 pregnant women and 1,80,67,874 children were registered inMCTS during 2013-2014 as on June, 2014(73 % & 67% against estimatednumber)•ANMs upload this service delivery data in near real-time
II. Health Management Information System (HMIS)•To monitor and evaluate the impact of the various health programmes andinterventions being run in all states.
•Capture facility-level statistics/details on health indicators and health facilities
for M&E of the impact of initiatives under NHM•Has analytical and reporting capabilities soon to be along with GIS Integration•Gender/ age wise data can be enumerated for planning purposes.
1430,000,000

No of

25,000,000

Registered…

20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000

DATA USE FOR PREGNANT
WOMEN’S INSTITUTIONAL
DELIVERY

5,000,000
070.0
60.0

DATA USE FOR PREGNANT
WOMEN TO TRACK THEIR
ANCs

50.0

58.961.160.358.9
54.3
49.8

40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0

% ofInstitutional Deliveries

0.015

ICT: Media and gender-India• Portrayal of women in news (Global Media Monitoring Project,2010)
In India women constitute only 22% of the news subjects across all
topic categories.
In India women account for only 18% of the subjects in politicalstories and an abysmally low 10% in stories relating to the economy.
Only 5% of the news stories highlighted gender equality /inequality.
• Portrayal of women in television ads and programs.
sexist images combined with ideal 'Naari' -dedication to husband andfamily and children
Women and girls are expected to perform equally well with men in
the office and work spaces and yet continue to excel in their idealwoman's role that looks after the children, husbands and families.

167. Major Obstacles to reduce gender gaps in access toICTs and to overcome gender-bias in the media• Lack of a clear National policy for promoting ICT for women’sdevelopment.
• Poor ICT infrastructure, lack of electricity in many remote,far-flung areas, and frequent power cuts.
• Poor literacy among women and inadequate computer skills• Unaffordable costs of computer hardware and software,
maintenance and connectivity.
• Little awareness of the full range of opportunities offered byICT other than access to information• Limited online information in vernacular languages.

17Obstacles contd• Women seen merely as consumers of media and ICTs
• Market driven motives• New gender norms to be created and supported bygreater engagement of men and boys.
• Inefficient telephone services along with absence offavourable bandwidth and connectivity for smooth
operation• Financial powers do not wrest with women usually
nor can she decide for herself.

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Conclusion & Policy Recommendations• ICT can influence changes and restructure the prevailing power
equations both in and out of family.
• Government of India is running schemes in the various ministries toempower women and girls by providing them trainings in the field oftechnology and supporting them through their ventures.
• Computer labs are set up in senior secondary schools and colleges toprovide free IT education to girls.
• Schemes provide subsidized or free trainings to girls and even provide
financial incentives for completion of course and establish them withlow or no interest loans from cooperative societies and banks.

19Conclusion & Policy Recommendations•Creating an enabling environment for women to support andencourage strategies which promote equal access to andopportunity to benefit from ICT projects•Developing content which speaks to women’s concerns andreflects their local knowledge, and is of value in their daily lives,
business enterprises, or family responsibilities•Promoting increased employment and representation in the IT
sector for women and the use of ICTs for women’s SMEs
•Institution of scholarships and awards, with incentives, topromote the enrolment of girls and women in ICT programmes.

20Conclusion & Policy Recommendations
For social development and gender equality changes must takeplace in a context which consists of following components:•Implementing e-governance strategies which are accessible towomen; and promoting women’s lobbying and advocacy
activities.
•Need for continuous surveillance of media to monitor harmful
effects of stereotypical portrayal of women•Programs and policies need to critically examine whether …
Use of ICT to empowerment seeks to serve ‘market needs’ of
consumption or
Are ICT and media used to reinforce gender stereotypes ofAre ICT and media are transforming and challenging gendernorms21

THANK YOU
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