Skip to main content

Mobile Applications: A Game Changer for Rural Women Entrepreneurs?

  • Chapter
Unveiling Women’s Leadership

Abstract

Information technology (IT) in India has proved to be a powerful enabler for advancing economic and social development. However, the advantages it has bestowed on the urban Indian woman have not been seen by her rural sister on the other side of the digital divide. With respect to mobile technology, however, the story has been remarkably different, with high levels of acceptance across the country at large. While traditional IT requires these women to adapt to technology, mobile applications can be adapted to effectively address the unique socio-cultural, political and economic needs and sensitivities of this segment, making it a potential game changer for rural women as a whole, and rural women entrepreneurs in particular.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • A Directorate-General of the European Commission, Eurostat is allocated to the portfolio of the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, EUROSTAT ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2010-, http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/synthesis/aar/aar2010/doc/estat_aar_2010.pdf

  • Bagozzi, R.P. (2007). The legacy of the technology acceptance model and a proposal for a paradigm shift. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 8, 4, 7, pp. 244–254, April 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R. P., Davis, F. D., Warshaw, P. R. (1992). Development and test of a theory of technological learning and usage, Human Relations, 45, 7, pp. 660–686, doi: 10.1177/001872679204500702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buskens, I. and Webb, A. (2009). African Women and ICTs. Investigating Technology, Gender and Empowerment. Edited by Ineke Buskins and Anne Webb. Zed Books: London, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cappo, D. (2002). Social Inclusion, Participation & Empowerment, Address to Australian Council of Social Services National Congress, 28–29 November, 2002, Hobart. C, http://webarchive.linc.tas.gov.au/20120305152057/http:/www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au/files/speech_02nov_acoss.pdf

  • Davis, F. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quaterly, 13, 3, pp. 319–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Learning Network on Empowerment and Inclusion (Dec. 2010). Empowerment, inclusion and employability: Background and definitions, http://www.proteus-ni.org/Documents/ELN/EmployabilityEmpowerment Inclusion-MM-AT(FINAL).pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selwyn, N. and Facer, K. (2007). Beyond the Digital Divide. Rethinking Digital Inclusion for the 21st Century. Futurelab, www.futurelab.org.uk/openingeducation.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Better India (11 Dec. 2014). Amazing apps that are using mobile phones for social good. Retrieved from www.futurelab.org.uk/openingeducation

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Payal Kumar

Copyright information

© 2015 Nalini Srinivasan

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Srinivasan, N. (2015). Mobile Applications: A Game Changer for Rural Women Entrepreneurs?. In: Kumar, P. (eds) Unveiling Women’s Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137547064_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics