The digital revolution has changed the way we work, access information and connect with each other. It offers opportunities to those who can use the new technologies, but also presents new challenges for those who are left behind.

Information Communication and Technologies (ICTs) is about computers, telecommunication technologies such as mobile, radio and television broadcasting and internet. ICT enables access to education, employment, economic independence, social networking and so on.

The Web is seen by some financial observers as a significant main catalyst in making a bound together worldwide community. The individuals approach advanced mobile phones which give them access to a universe of substance from news to amusement. Individuals utilize their telephones for calling, sending mails, informing, gaming, making companions, dating, watching news, refreshing their photographs, sharing their considerations, controlling different gadgets, showing their specialty, responding to a story and considerably more. Individuals live in a virtual world considered web that interfaces them with anybody they need and lets them do anything they need.

Gender Inequality in Digital Age: -Challenge

The digital divides denote the gap between internet haves and have-nots.. In traditional male dominated society women have always been criticised for being progressive and self dependent specially in rural communities .They have hardly ever provided with opportunities equal to men. In today’s global information society, digital gender gaps reflect gender inequalities. United Nations recognize ending the gender digital divide reinforcing efforts and achievement of one of the SDG goal [Sustainable Development Goals]. The data revealed that despite numerous initiatives of digital inclusiveness of women at global and national level, that women are still facing significant challenges in personal and professional life due to stereotype and traditional preconceptions in the society. ICT is considering male dominated sector. The digital transformation of the society rising demand for digital skilled persons and being a digital is no longer option for women. Without digital skills, women may miss out new business, accessing or selling products to new markets, participation in decision making process that affects their lives, finding, changing jobs or finding new contacts and accessing information from different sources. ICTs can empower women in different fields such as education, health, politics and economy and so on and so forth. If the Women or girls are choosing not to go online or to be prevented from going online; they may miss out, acquiring digital skills which are helpful in everyday life and increasingly essential in the modern digital economy.

Importance of the Topic:

Women’s empowerment is very essential for the development of any type of society. In the simplest sense, empowerment means individuals acquiring the power to think and act freely, exercises choice and equal access to fulfil their potential as full and equal members of society. According to UN Women, ‘Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing individual to think, take action and control work in an autonomous way’.

Digitalization offers a variety of opportunities for female empowerment. The potential that computerized media has is colossally gigantic with regards to enabling ladies on its empowerment aspect. It empowers ladies to pick anything they desire with no one halting them.

Women’s superior social skills may represent a comparative advantage in the digital age, and this is particularly so when social skills are complemented with higher education and advanced digital literacy.

Role of digital media for women empowerment:

The collective work of NGO and government at micro level has been transformed women in some extent in digital age but limits their full participation due to several barriers. Though ICT has seen as an effective tool for economic and social development, women’s access to and use of ICT have been constrained, mainly because of technological, social and cultural barriers in the society.

ITU Broadband Report (2013)entitled, ‘Doubling Opportunities: Enhancing the Inclusion of Women and Girls in the Information Society’, mentioned five components of women’s empowerment such as
Women’s sense of self-worth;
Their rights to have and to determine choice access to opportunities and resources;
Their ability to influences the directions of social change;
To control her own destiny.
The report further says that empowered women must not only have equal capabilities and equal access to resources and opportunities.
The role that digital media can play for the cause of women empowerment is multifaceted. Various possibilities are mentioned below:
Digital media provides a forum for community building.
Digital media makes it easier for women to start businesses.
Digital media provides a forum to women for engagement over meaningful topics & empower them to provide their views on various social gender issues.
Digital media helps activists to raise awareness about misogyny online, and give tools to people for combating it.
Digital media has made awareness regarding women’s rights violations.
Digital media has improved globally girls’ access to education.
Digital media provides young women with more career options
European Union Report (2018) on ‘Women in Digital Age’, suggested the following solutions to overcome the social and cultural and technological barriers of women which limits their full participation in digital society as under:-