Metro India News | goa 

At a women leaders’ seminar hosted by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung India, Member of Parliament Dr Kadiyam Kavya spotlighted the pressing digital gender divide and ongoing efforts in women’s empowerment, drawing from global data and her roots in Warangal.

In her presentation, Dr Kavya revealed that in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), women are significantly less likely to own mobile phones (83% vs. 89%), smartphones (60% vs. 69%), or use mobile internet (66% vs. 78%). These gaps—wider in regions like South Asia—leave hundreds of millions of women digitally excluded, costing LMICs $126 billion in GDP.

India reflects this trend, with only 35% of women owning smartphones and a 30% gender gap in mobile internet access. Rural and medium-income families remain especially underserved due to affordability, low digital literacy, and limited infrastructure.

Dr Kavya also highlighted Warangal’s legacy of powerful women leaders like Queen Rudramadevi and the folk heroines Sammakka and Saralamma. She linked this heritage to modern initiatives under Telangana’s “Indiramma Rajya,” including the Indira Mahila Shakti Policy, which promotes women’s political participation, entrepreneurship, and economic self-reliance. Notably, Rs 1 lakh crore is being invested in schemes for women-led enterprises and welfare.

Calling for urgent action, Dr Kavya urged policymakers to bridge the digital divide through affordable devices, skill-building, and infrastructure development—ensuring no woman is left behind in the digital age.