ICT IMPACT
1950s
Green Revolution
House Hold
1970s
Industrial Revolution
Transformation
1990s
Knowledge Revolution
Nation’s Economy
Emerging Trend in Education
Break Through in GIRLS Education!!!
• National Programme for Education of Girls in Elementary Level
• Computer Literacy at Primary & Secondary Schools
• Exponential Growth of Institutions for Higher Education
• High Enrollment of Girls in Science & Engineering
• Computer Literacy for Women – Drive by Training Institutes
Literacy Rate of Women on the increase 14% between
1991 & 2001
Affordability ?
Reach ? Opportunity ? Social Reformation ?
Educational Institutions
Educational Institutions Vs Female Enrollment
8000
7000
6000
33%
Enrollment
40%
Enrollment
7929
5000
4000
4862
3000
2000
2223
1000
886
0
1991
2001
Year
General Education
Professional Education
Female Literacy Rate
Literacy Rate in %
80
9 % Growth
70
73
60
50
16 % Growth
14 % Growth
64
54
Legend:
40
Urban
47
30
31
40
20
Rural
Total Literacy
10
0
1991 2001
1991 2001
Period
1991 2001
“Indian Women in IT” – Remarkable Turnaround !!
• US $ 16500 Million turn over in 2002-2003
• 3.15% of National GDP
• # 2 Contributor to Nation’s Foreign Exchange Earnings
• 20.4% share in India’s Exports
• Geographical Spread over Worldwide Market
- Americas including Canada & Latin America
- Asia Pacific,West Asia, South East Asia
- Europe
- Africa
Who were behind this revolution?
“Obviously Indian Women in IT”
18000
3.5
3.15
16000
IT Market in US $ Million
GDP Share
14000
2.87
3
2.66
16500
2.5
12000
10000
8000
13783
1.87
2
1.45
1.5
1.22
12410
6000
1
4000
8357
5021
6014
0.5
2000
0
0
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
Year
2001-02
2002-03
GDP
IT Market in US $ Million
Indian IT Market:1997-2002
Indian Domestic IT Market:1997-2002
1.26
Indian Domestic IT Market
in US $ Million
6000
1.36
1.27
1.4
GDP Share
6213
5000
4000
6598
0.98
0.79
1.6
1.2
1
6114
0.82
0.8
3000
3248
2000
4351
0.6
3381
0.4
1000
0.2
0
0
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
Year
2001-02
2002-03
GDP
IT Market in US $ Million
7000
Educated Women in India find foothold in ICT
• ICT access & literacy drive creates cultural &
economic independence for Indian women.
• 21% are Women out of 650,000 professionals employed in IT
• Expected to touch 35% by the Year 2005
• Already 65% women in ITES segment
• 1:3 to 1:7, Female: Male Gender ratio in employment
• 76% of this strength is graduate degree or above
• 1.1 Million people on demand estimated by Year 2008
• 235,000 shortfall anticipated by 2008
Can Indian Women make good this shortfall & sustain growth ?
Male Female Gender Ratio
Sample Size: 186
59312
# Employees
60000
Indian Cos :71 %
14828
50000
40000
30000
20000
WOS/MNC/JVS :29 %
ITES : 12 %
IT Services : 88 %
19475
Gender Ratio:(Female:Male)
3895
44484
Ranges from
1:2 to 1:7 in Indian Cos
10000
15600
1:5 to 1:7 in WOS/MNCs
0
MNC/WoS
Indian
Type of Company
Female Employees
Male Employees
Staff Employed
59312
60000
3340
# Employees
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
Sample Size: 186
WOS/MNC/JVS : 54 #
Indian Cos : 132 #
ITES : 56 #
[ WoS/MNC/JV - 18 #,
Indian Cos - 38 # ]
19475
55972
IT Services : 130 #
[ WoS/MNC/JV - 36 #,
Indian Cos - 94 # ]
6109
13366
0
MNC/WoS
Indian
Type of Company
ITES
IT Services
Women in IT Pyramid Vs Effort & Time Demand
Effort &
Time Demand
Entrepreneur
Employment
Segment
A: Data Entry/Billing. Handling ICT in various functions in
B: ITES Industry / Kiosk Management
C: Handling ICT in Banks / Software Programmers
D: Project Managers / Technical Architect
E: Quality Assurance & Hi-Tech specialization in IT
F: Senior Executive Managing IT
Organization
Women in ICT – Grass Root to Pyramidal !!
• Today at (or) out of school, in (or) out of college
- Women & ICT are integral
• Basic operations to high-tech IT applications
- Women make their presence felt
• Employee to Entrepreneur
- Women have excelled in the last decade
• Family & Work
- Women have balanced their time & effort
Positive Trend but are they a reckoning force for economic growth?
“Life Cycle Diamond”
“Life Cycle Diamond” – Women flaking social stigma !!
Marriage - Baby Phase
Indian Women in IT are learning to cross
the crucial phase of life to enhance career.
Case Study – Reflection of Thoughts
Kalyani
Marrying men in
Foreign Country
draws Women to IT
Sexual harassment
protection &
Working in
Shifts- Boon for
Women in IT
Nuclear Family System
deterrent for
Women in IT
“Glass Ceiling”
Predominant for Women
to climb-up the
ladder in Organization
Kanchana
More support from
Family & Society for
Women at work
Ann
Mallika
Radha
Sarada
ICT access in geometrical
progression. Progress
of Women is stymied in
conservative society
Emerging Trends – Women in IT: What they said!!
Mythili Ramesh:
• Gender discrimination on attitudes & perspectives remain.
• 100% output for family & employer. Faster burnout.
• Flexi-timings & caring organization
Naseem Mariam:
• Socializing is yet to catch-up.
• Family support for business travel & client interaction.
• Tax relief towards child care & concierge services
Sumitra Seshan:
• ICT education for women at par with Men
• Quality Engineering institutions created ample
opportunity.
• More graduates but less number turn out for work.
Vidya Balasubramanian:
• Ethics committee in organization to listen to voice of women
• Apt environment with pick-up & drop + support for rudimentary
household chores.
• Motivational training to help women look at long standing association
with employer
Emerging Trends: Path breaking reformations!!
• Spouse support & Managing IT as an entrepreneur.
• Marriages amongst IT Professionals leads them from
being employee to become employer.
• ‘Work from home’- options for drop out women
to sustain interest & continue their profession.
• Less strenuous & flexi time work during Marriage-Baby phase.
• More technology oriented capability demonstrated
• Successful Senior Executives overcoming cultural & social
pressures managing IT operations
Government Policies & Initiatives
• 30% employment of women attracts capital subsidy.
• e-governance & computerization of government operations
has created ICT Access.
• Rural Knowledge centres to enhance self esteem &
social prestige of women.
• Exclusive financial assistance for Women Entrepreneurs.
• Labor Law amendment for women to work in all shifts.
More changes in policy for women to support Nation’s economy expected
Conclusion
• Competency & Work Demand when met, gender
equality is established.
• Emerging Trends are indicators of portrayal of
Indian Women as part of global community.
• Cultural, Ethical & Social changes will continue
for productive role by women in Nation’s economy
Conclusion (Contd…)
• Forced & chosen change due to IT revolution
will benefit Indian women.
• ‘There are no road blocks for Women in any
field’ as said by
Ms.Kiran Bedi, IPS –
‘Ramon Magsaysay Award Winner’
What I say ? My Belief …
• As enabler of IT over the last 12 Years being in the
Ministry of Communication & Information Technology /
STPI, I believe that
• Women’s share in ICT could easily grow to 45 ~ 50% in
next 5 years provided women:
- repositions & become more career oriented.
- prioritize & manage issues.
• Higher percentage of Women in Senior Positions in IT
will become a reality.
WIT 2003 Conference is towards this direction.
“ Yes there are really no road blocks for Women in ICT”
Website: www.stpc.soft.net
R.RAJALAKSHMI
Director
Email: rrl@stpc.soft.net