Only about a third ofKarnatakawomen have ever used the Internet, while not more than half of them spent over 10 years in school, the latest round of national family Health survey (NFHS-5) revealed, even as some other indicators in the state improved.
Analysis of statewise data shows that a best-case scenario in 10 of India’s most populous states – Uttar Pradesh,Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh-,Madhya Pradesh,Tamil Nadu,Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat – shows a similar trend.
In almost all these states, the Percentage of
men using the internet is much higher, nearly double in some cases, than Women, while the gap between the genders when it comes to spending more than 10 years in school appears to be narrowing.For instance, as per NFHS-5, around 35 per cent of women in Karnataka ever used the internet, compared to 62.4 per cent of men. In comparison, it is 38 per cent and 61.5 per cent, respectively in Maharashtra, and 30.8 per cent and 58.9 per cent in Gujarat.
Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra-Telangana (together) have less than 30 per cent of women using the internet, while more than half of the men barring in West Bengal (47 per cent) have used the same.
Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan performed slightly better; Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, tops the table among these states with 46.9 per cent (women) and 70.2 per cent (men) having used the internet.
Similarly, in Karnataka, 50.2 per cent of women spent more than 10 years in school as against 56.5 per cent of men. Comparatively, in Maharashtra, 50.4 per cent of women and 61 per cent of men have achieved this, while figures stand at 33.8 per cent and 45.6 per cent in Gujarat.
In Tamil Nadu, the numbers are 56.6 per cent (women) and 59.1 per cent (men), while West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh pale in comparison. Andhra-Telangana (cumulative) numbers appear slightly better in this category.
Analysis of rural-urban data reiterates the lack of access for women and men from rural areas.
Of around 35 per cent of women in Karnataka using the internet, only 24.8 per cent are from rural areas and over 50 per cent from urban areas. Among men, 55.6 per cent from rural areas and 71.5 per cent from urban areas used the internet to take the overall state Average to 62.4 per cent.
The trend is more or less similar in the other 10 states.