Women's entrepreneurship can be enhanced through the use of technology along with digital literacy, but if it is not used properly, there is also a risk of risk.
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According to the National Census 2078, 37.8 percent of households in Nepal have access to the Internet. From that, 73 percent of the population has a smart phone. Although the share of female population is large in this, the scope of digital literacy is only 31 percent.
This confirms that women lack access to digital technology and digital literacy compared to men. Statistics show that women and girls are victims of cyber bullying, porn, child sexual abuse on digital platforms because they can't use them correctly knowingly or unknowingly. According to United Nations Women (UN Women), 85 percent of women in the world are subjected to digital violence.
According to the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police, the number of complaints of such crimes involving children has increased by 97 percent in the last four years. In 2075/076 there were 10 complaints, by February 078/079 they have increased to 470.
In the last fiscal year 2079/80, out of 5,528 complaints related to cyber crime, 2,701 were women and 90 were girls. According to the study of 'Sharecast Initiative', 85 to 90 percent of violence against women takes place through social media. Similarly, 82 percent of violence against women occurs through Facebook Messenger. According to another study, 15.5 percent of violence against women occurs through X, 12.8 percent through WhatsApp, 11.7 percent through Viber, 6 percent through email, and 4.6 percent through Instagram.
The US-based 'National Center for Missing and Exploited Children' organization reports against the details of child sexual abuse photos and videos from around the world. In that, the data of 63 thousand in 2019 and more than 178 thousand in 2021 from Nepal indicates a terrible picture.
On the one hand, women's entrepreneurship can be enhanced by the highest use of technology with digital literacy, on the other hand, there is also a risk of not using it properly. Mobile devices are not considered digital literacy if they are only used for calling and using social media. In the true sense, if digital literacy is to be increased among women, it is too late to develop digital literacy to reduce work load, save time and contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Even though the government has tried to include information technology in periodic plans, it can be felt that there are problems from time to time due to lack of necessary laws. It can only be justified if good policies, rules and laws are formulated to increase the digital literacy of women. The government should make laws targeting e-commerce as soon as possible. It seems necessary to take the initiative of the state in the development of women-oriented industrial villages.
In point 4.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations and accepted by us, it is mentioned that by the year 2030, there will be a significant increase in the number of entrepreneurial youth and adults with technical, commercial and other skills according to the market demand. Tomorrow they can be policy makers, high level employees, private sector leaders, who have a good understanding of digital things. The laws made by them, aspirations and plans taken by them can become the complement of our better future.
Therefore, there is a need for NGOs, INGOs, schools, women's groups and women's committees in the ward to increase digital literacy. It is an unfortunate situation that women and children are victims of violence when new things are invented in the field of technology.
