Sheatwork calls for action to drive digital literacy on World Computer Literacy Day – 2 December 2021
World Computer Literacy Day is observed every year – to create awareness and drive digital literacy in communities worldwide.
Due to the entrance of increased technology in our lives, computers have become an essential part of human life. And, with the advent of the pandemic, has accelerated the process. It actually highlights the digital revolution in today’s times. So, knowledge of computers is very critical today, and it is required in all walks of life. Hence, to promote ‘computer’ awareness and to encourage people to use them efficiently, World Computer Literacy Day is a good occasion.
The day stands for promoting technological skills, especially in women and children. The World Computer Literacy Day aims to give them inspiration – to learn more and make their work/tasks easier with the use of computers. Plus, improving women’s access to technologies can help raise their status in their communities; this, in turn, can lead to greater autonomy and access to information. And subsequently, it involves the power to advocate sustainable practices, and lower mortality rates during natural disasters. So, tech can be not only life-changing; it can be life-saving too!!
Technological skills can be life-changing
Computers are of utmost importance to human life. They should be equally accessible to people across the world so that they can reap the benefits and embellish their lives with the latest technology. But does this really happen?
Computer accessibility must also extend to rural areas. It is unfortunate that rural people around the world, despite contributing immensely to the global economy, face greater obstacles to sustainable development; and this also extends to their share of a decent quality of life than their urban counterparts. Rural women and girls, in particular, lack equal access to a number of critical essentials like public services, that includes education, health care, and infrastructure, as well as access to the internet and digital devices, and consequently, the skills needed to use them.
Today, we draw attention to the fact that globally, rural women should be given a chance so that they can fare equally with urban women; and efforts must be put in so that the poverty that they disproportionately experience, must also be mitigated.
Contributing to economic development
The reality is that in the rural areas, women struggle really hard to maintain a balance in life. Rural women engage in both agricultural and economic activities – to ensure their families’ financial security by diversifying sources of income. Rural women today, share a significant contribution with men, as both agricultural and non-agricultural workforce of India.
With changes in rural settings, rural women are progressing slowly and swiftly in supporting their husbands for contributing to the household incomes. We find that in rural areas today, women stand shoulder-to-shoulder with men and are performing almost equally in work and economic development. As per statistics, around 37 per cent of rural women make purchases on their own, and these numbers are moving up to 40 per cent for working rural women.
Today, with the winds of change set in, rural women in India are seen as significant agents for growth and development. They do play an important role in the attainment of transforming economic, educational, and social changes needed for sustainable development. And, what a better day to celebrate this, than today!!
Avtar Madan
Content Team
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
