1. Telecentres as Public Spaces: Inclusiveness from a gender perspective Ratna M. Sudarshan Director Institute of Social Studies Trust, New Delhi  eINDIA2008 Conference  31 July 2008

2. How inclusive? Access to skill/ training Access to income  Entrepreneurship  Employment Mobility in the work place

3. Access to skills

4. Access to skills/ Training Access points:  School  Home  NGOs  Government sponsored training facilities  Private Training Institutes  Universities  Reasonable to assume low barriers to acquiring basic IT skills at the first four access points

5. ISST Community Centre, Kalyanpuri, East Delhi Basic computer training Using internet for information and communication Tracer study: 31 out of 50 students,(2004-05) could be contacted, 22 boys and 9 girls (June 2008). Out of the 12 now working, 9 are boys, and 6 of the 9 use computers at work. None of the girls is so far in a job using computers. Opening up of new job opportunities stated as the major benefit of the computer course. Most children from JJ clusters lack other access -ISST centre is their only access to computers

6. Access to income: entrepreneurship

7. Akshaya, Kerala Akshaya project in Kerala General objective: social benefits of informed and techno savvy population, plus private profits through e- commerce. Specific objectives:- a) Ensuring full e-literacy. b) Promoting e-commerce, and c) Ushering in e-governance.

8. Akshaya Entrepreneurs (ISST study, 2004) 78 women and 557 men among selected entrepreneurs Women mostly married, no previous experience in business > 50 % of men had parallel businesses alongside Akshaya Men attracted by expected earnings Women driven more by non financial motives > 70 % of women agreed that (gendered) social norms and customs made opening and running centres difficult Women run centres were, in many case, actually managed by the husbands or some male relative (s)

9. Akshaya Trainees In 40 selected centers (for in-depth analysis) the percentage of women trainees > that of men. Most of the women were married and involved in domestic activities. Close to 60 percent of men were working Women saw training as an extension of their education; opportunity for better contact with overseas male relatives; leisure activity

10. Access to income: employment

11. Access to work: what the data suggests Women currently 30 % of all workers, likely to increase to 45 % by 2010 90 % of companies surveyed offer flexible hours; 59 % offer work from home option (NASSCOM 2008)

12. Access to work Some evidence of a carry-over of the existing gendering of work  Women concentrated towards the low-skilled end of the spectrum Entry and manipulation of data Jobs requiring communication skills – call centres, public relations promotion

13. Position by gender (source: Rothboeck et al 2001) – indicative data 32.8767.13Total 5.5694.4Project manager 2575Consultant 45.3154.69Programmer/ software engr 6040Call service FemaleMalePosition

14. Mobility at the work place

15. ITES segment According to one study 70% of workers in ITES are in unorganised sector (Sarkar et al 2005) No adequate gender disaggregated statistics on employment are available; however an estimated 40 % of jobs in the ITES are taken by women (Low end: ITES: call centres, medical transcription, back office work processing, data entry etc.)

16. Mobility within ITES Entry at low end of this segment relatively easy – field evidence Mobility at work will require computing skills + knowledge of content Factors influencing mobility:  Motivation  Care responsibilities

17. Some Issues for enhancing inclusiveness from a gender perspective Growth of sector is market led Need for pro active measures to draw persons from low income households; special effort to draw in girls/ women Corporate initiatives largely restricted to formal/ organised sector: Need to recognise large and expanding informal segment within ITES Opportunities for continuous skill upgradation to encompass IT skills + content Women's participation will continue to be mediated by availability of child/ elderly care support and social norms

18. Thank you