Answer:

In the recent past, formal and informal online learning spaces have evolved into important sources of knowledge that are accessible to many, require limited mobility, and provide universal learning opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has led to a major jump in the increase of online learning. 

Impact of Digital divide on women 

• Access: Women in rural areas have very low access to mobile phones and the internet and it becomes a huge barrier to online learning. 

• For example, in rural India, men are about twice as likely as women to have used the internet, at 49 per cent against 25 per cent respectively. 

• Social norms: Women’s use of electronic devices in India is prevented not just by financial constraints but also by barriers of social norms and technological illiteracy. 

• For example, a recent Harvard study on women’s barriers to mobile phone usage in India found that India’s gender gaps in technology access is exceptional and much larger than countries with similar levels of development.  

• Subnational disparities: There are huge disparities in women’s mobile phone access across different regions of India. 

• For example, more than 85% of women in Goa, Sikkim, and Kerala had mobile phone access, whereas less than 50% of women in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh reported phone access (NFHS-5 data) 

• Lack of confidence: Women are more likely to suffer from technical illiteracy and lack of confidence than men in using electronic devices. 

• For example, women lag behind men with relative gaps growing with task sophistication like making and receiving calls, SMS and complex activities such as social media. 

Influence of online learning on women’s education 

• Breaking barriers: The flexibility, affordability, and safety that online education provides have the potential to break down barriers that have historically disadvantaged women. 
• Participation: Online learning has increased the participation of women in education.  

• For example, Women represented 44 per cent of new learners in 2021, up from 37 per cent in 2019. (Women and Skills Report by Coursera)  

• Jobs: Online learning is opening up new avenues to connect women to the jobs of the future through flexible, affordable, and fast-tracked learning and career pathways.  

• For example, entry-level professional certificates are curated by industry leaders like Google, IBM, and Meta for learners without prior industry experience to complete in 6 to 8 months on average (3-10 hours per week), fully online. 

• STEM fields: Women have traditionally faced disadvantages, especially in ICT and engineering, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. But online learning has increased the participation of women in STEM fields.  

• For example, four out of the top five skills for women learners in India are STEM skills. 

• Cost: The range, cost, and accessibility of online courses have encouraged more women to try new fields without a long-time commitment and heavy financial burden. 

Education is a crucial pathway for the empowerment of women. But some rural women have been left behind by the digital revolution and are being further disempowered. If the gendered nature of access to online learning is not paid attention to soon, some women will be doubly disadvantaged, both because of their class and their gender. India should work on closing the gap in gender equality in education.