Author: Nikita Rakhyani | 24-Feb-2025
The world is becoming more digital by the day.
India now has over 820 million active internet users, with a growing number from rural areas. Meanwhile, the number of non-users continues to decline. However, a stark digital divide remains—women still lag behind men in internet usage. The consumption of video and audio OTT content is rising, and non-traditional devices are becoming more prevalent. Notably, one in four online shoppers in urban India now make purchases through social media apps (Economic Times, 2024).
In this ever-digitising world, who are the ones still skeptical of digital technology? How do women and young girls interact with digital platforms? Do they trust these platforms, or do they use them out of necessity?
To explore these questions and many more, PRIA, in collaboration with Aapti Institute and its field partners across four states in India, conducted a participatory research study on what shapes women's trust in the digital world. The study examined the factors that either drive or limit women's confidence in using digital devices and technology.
Through this research, PRIA engaged with women, men, and adolescents—both girls and boys—to understand their experiences and perceptions of technology. The discussions revealed not only their usage patterns but also the deeply ingrained social norms that shape their trust in digital platforms.
The Role of Patriarchy in Digital Access
The insights from these participatory discussions revealed a clear pattern—women’s access to digital platforms is largely governed by patriarchal norms. In Uttar Pradesh, this control was even more pronounced. Men dictated when and how women could use phones, and even sons had a say in how their sisters accessed technology. It became evident that a woman's trust in digital platforms is shaped by the men in her family—fathers, husbands, brothers, and even sons.
These conversations also highlighted the fear men have—the fear of women and their daughters using phones independently. The idea of them having unmonitored access to information and connections was unsettling. They failed to see the empowering opportunities that digital access could create for women.
As an organisation working on gender and women's agency, this made me question—are our years of advocacy, hard work, and engagement making a difference? Are we truly breaking barriers, or are we just scratching the surface of deep-rooted gender biases?
Global reports suggest that it may take more than five generations for India to achieve gender equality (Gender Gap Report, 2024).
But these conversations made me believe that it could take even longer than estimated.
I realised that, just like every other aspect of a woman’s life, patriarchy dictates her presence on digital platforms too. Any new system or tool introduced in an individual’s life must first be reviewed and controlled by men—who experience it for their own benefit while restricting how women engage with it.
Data Validation: Sparks of Change
After conducting several rounds of community discussions, we returned to share and validate the findings from our study. Despite the grim reality, something remarkable happened when we presented our research to women and community groups.
Young girls stood up and voiced their thoughts—challenging norms, questioning restrictions, and demanding change:
“Why is it acceptable for boys to use phones, but not for girls?”
“Why can’t we use phones? Why can’t we be on social media?
“We want to achieve something in life, and having access to a phone helps us do that.”
The conversations during these sessions became intense, even sparking heated debates. Field facilitators had to step in to help young girls articulate what they truly wanted to express.
Another interesting thing that happened was when a man stood up and said,
“Let the girl speak and share what she wants.”
That moment was powerful. It proved that the participatory approach we had used in our research had sparked something—it had made these women, girls and the larger community think critically about their actions, their agency, and what was truly right or wrong.
This also led to a realisation within the group: the issue is not just about how women trust digital platforms, but also about how families—parents, husbands, brothers, and even mothers—trust the women in their lives and their autonomy.
The Pandemic’s Unexpected Impact and the Vicious Cycle of Patriarchal Control
What years of efforts by gender activists, practitioners, researchers, and educators couldn’t achieve, the COVID-19 pandemic did.
For the first time, the need for digital access forced families to provide women and girls with smartphones. This access allowed them to explore, learn, and express themselves in ways they hadn’t before. They began breaking barriers—learning new skills, experimenting, and stepping into a world where they could assert their independence.
However, the same digital space that empowered them also became a site of gender-based violence and harassment. Many women and girls who initially embraced technology was soon driven away by online abuse. The very tool that gave them a voice became another site of patriarchal control.
And yet, despite these challenges, I can’t help but feel that COVID-19 did something good—it forced a shift, however small, in the way families viewed women's access to technology.
These discussions reinforced the need for systemic changes—changes that ensure (something we learned from the community and that was reiterated during the data validation session):
The gender digital divide is not just about access to phones or the internet; it is about power, agency, and the deeply ingrained structures that dictate who gets to participate in the digital world.
If we truly want to create an inclusive digital future, we need:
It is not just about women trusting digital platforms—it is about society trusting women to use them freely and safely.
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