But the divide is far greater for poor rural women, who are also much less likely to have digital literacy skills, according to Chetna Sinha, founder of Mann Deshi, an organisation which works to empower rural women. Mann Deshi, which has given phones to rural women in western Maharashtra’s Satara district, said the devices have helped them survive financially during the pandemic. “We initially provided smartphones to help rural women keep their businesses going during the pandemic, but we then realised how important a phone was to help them connect with their families during lockdown and quarantine,” she said. Seeds co-founder Manu Gupta said women had often been brought to hospital later than men, by which time their symptoms were more serious. Daily coronavirus cases are steadily falling, but Gupta now fears the digital divide could put millions of poor, including rural women, at the back of the vaccination queue.

Source: The Star June 22, 2021 23:37 UTC