THE ROLE OF EDUCATION AND DIGITAL LITERACY IN WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT: A DATA-BASED ANALYTICAL STUDY

Women’s empowerment is an important foundation for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable social development. Education serves as a means of developing knowledge, awareness, self-confidence, decision-making ability, and social participation among women, while digital literacy strengthens access to modern technological resources, expands economic opportunities, and enhances the possibilities for independent expression. In the present digital era, the integration of education and digital literacy has become particularly relevant for the personal, social, economic, and political empowerment of women. The primary objective of the present study is to analyse the status of education, digital access, financial inclusion, and labour force participation in the context of women’s empowerment in India on the basis of secondary data. The study is based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE 2021–22), the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2023–24), and related government publications. Descriptive statistical techniques, such as percentages, percentage-point differences, comparative analysis, and trend analysis, have been used for the analysis. According to the available data, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of women in higher education in India increased from 22.9 per cent in 2014–15 to 28.5 per cent in 2021–22. Similarly, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of women aged 15 years and above increased from 23.3 per cent in 2017–18 to 41.7 per cent in 2023–24. On the other hand, NFHS-5 indicated a substantial difference between women and men in internet usage. The study makes it clear that, despite the expansion of educational opportunities, ensuring equal access to digital resources, technical proficiency, and economic autonomy remains essential. In conclusion, education and digital literacy are complementary means of women’s empowerment; however, their actual impact is also influenced by social circumstances, resource availability, economic opportunities, and women’s independent decision-making capacity.