The knowledge paper — Empowering Women & Girls in India for the Fourth Industrial Revolution — situates the paradox around the fourth industrial revolution as an enabler of gender equality or an accelerator of gendered disparities. Globally and in India, a decadal analysis of employment data reveals a declining trend of female labour force participation (FLP).
The range of challenges for women and girls echoes across Asia and India — lack of education, access to quality education, digital divide, which limits them from gaining employable skill sets and entering the workforce or establishing an enterprise. A set of underlying social, economic and political barriers limits opportunities for Women. Specifically in the India context, the female labour force participation has had a decadal fall from 36.7 % in 2005 to 26% in 2018, with 95 % (195 million) women employed in the unorganized sector or in unpaid word. The United Nations Sustainable Development agenda for 2030 highlights that engaging women in the workforce will be a key differentiator in achieving future growth aspirations.
The emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) provides an opportunity for invested stakeholders to press the reset button on the gender agenda shifting away from the earlier three revolutions which only widened the extent of gender disparities and gender stereotypes. A definite concern arises from the advent of technology, digitisation and automation that women who are largely employed in low skills and low paying jobs will lose their place in the workforce. On a positive note, the 4IR influences the future of work in terms of the nature of organizational realities and leading skill types – complex problem solving, creativity, people management and emotional intelligence – providing opportunities for gender inclusive work cultures to emerge.
Ssurvey and interactions with industry, not-for-profits, Government, skill development agencies and end beneficiaries revealed the need to repurpose the education ecosystem through a set of system strengthening initiatives, introduce digital and stem education in schools, building strong foundational skills, introducing girls to career choices. In addition, mentoring adolescent girls on vocational training and apprenticeship avenues can build a strong linkage towards considering technology linked training and employment options. Stakeholders also shared their views on repositioning skill development programs and promoting women entrepreneurship with a focus on shifting societal perceptions, breaking gender stereotypes on careers choices, acquiring new-age technical skills and life skills which can lead to economic and social empowerment.
Significant opportunities areas or solutions can be considered with the emergence of the 4IR for women and girls, placing importance of adoption of technology, creativity and innovation. Deloitte recommends skill development interventions for women to have a combination of four skill categories – workplace readiness, soft skills, technical expertise and opportunities for entrepreneurship. The way ahead can include opportunities for women to reskill, upskill in alignment with evolving industry requirements (training labs, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, learning and development programmes) to succeed and grow at work, both across the formal and unorganised sectors. Evolving a stronger ecosystem around women entrepreneurs to complete the entrepreneurship life-cycle can result in economic empowerment and agency. The set of measure to support women entrepreneurs includes access to education; gaining managerial, leadership and soft skills, financial and digital literacy; influencing social settings and building support systems; access to resources – finance, technology, raw materials, talent; and joining the right networks.
