Internet usage among women in Odisha has doubled in five years: NFHS-6 data

Bhubaneswar: Internet usage among women in Odisha has doubled in the five years between 2019 and 2024. The data of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), held for 2023-24, show that 51.8% of women use internet against NFHS-5’s (2019-21) figure of 24.9%. Similarly, 63.6% women in the state have mobile phone against 50.1% earlier.Women in Odisha are witnessing a steady rise in digital access, but a clear gender gap in internet usage and mobile ownership continues, in line with national trends, according to the NFHS-6 fact sheet.Internet usage among men remains significantly higher (73.2%), underlining a persistent digital divide between genders in the state. It is also seen at the national level.Like gender gap, urban and rural divide is also there in internet and phone use. According to the latest report, 66.7% of urban women use internet against 49% rural. At the national level, this percentage is 77.3 in urban area and 58.6 in rural area. This logic is also applied for men in both the settings.In mobile phone usage, urban women are ahead of their rural counterparts. This figure is 79% for urban women and 60.7% for rural.While Odisha has recorded notable gains, its figures are slightly below or around the national average, where 64.3% of women and 80.5% of men have ever used the internet.Though 63.6% of Odisha women have mobile phones, 51.8% use internet. This indicates that many women either do not know how to use the internet on their phones or they do not have the feature to use it. Financial constraint may be a reason behind this, say experts.Bibudhendu Pati, professor of the computer science department, Rama Devi Women’s University, says mobile phone has become an essential gadget for people, as a phone number is required for direct benefit transfer (DBT) of govt assistance or subsidies. “It is also needed for Aadhaar authentication, banking purposes and online governance. Internet on a mobile phone is also important for digital payment and running other applications,” he says.He adds cheaper data and mobile phone apart from awareness is also tempting people to purchase the gadget and use internet. “There are many families where both men and women use a single phone for their requirement, which is not reflected in the report,” he says.Experts say bridging gender gap will be crucial for improving women’s access to education, financial services and employment opportunities in a rapidly digitising economy.