Internet access significantly boosts female labor force participation and earning potential across India, according to a study published in Volume 50 of the journal Telecommunications Policy. Researchers Pratik Tarafdar and S.S. Swathysree examined how digital technologies shape sustainable and inclusive development through women’s employment, applying an intersectional framework that accounts for caste and religion.
Measuring the Economic Impact of Digital Access
The study evaluates women’s earning potential linked directly to internet access, moving beyond basic digital access metrics. By utilizing nationally representative household survey data, the authors applied instrumental variable probit models and fixed effects regression. This methodology estimates the causal impact of internet connectivity on employment rates and wages while controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and regional differences.
Differentiated Effects Across Marginalized Communities
Empirical findings indicate that internet access yields stronger positive effects on labor participation and earnings among women from marginalized communities. Anchored in Amartya Sen’s capability approach and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionality framework, the research demonstrates how digital tools address structural inequalities. Internet connectivity functions not merely as a technological upgrade, but as an active pathway to equitable economic growth and long-term social sustainability.
Policy Implications for Digital Inclusion
The research shows that targeted public policies are necessary to bridge persistent digital divides in developing economies. By linking digital inclusion with long-term economic sustainability, the study highlights that information and communication technologies play a central role in fostering inclusive labor markets. Policymakers must focus resources on marginalized groups to maximize the transformative potential of digital technologies on female income in India.
Internet access boosts participation and earnings for marginalized women
- What methodology did the study use? The researchers used instrumental variable probit models and IV-based fixed effects regression on nationally representative household survey data.
- Who authored the study? The paper was authored by Pratik Tarafdar and S.S. Swathysree and published in Telecommunications Policy.
- How does internet access affect marginalized women? The study found that internet access significantly boosts both participation and earnings, with stronger positive effects observed among women from marginalized communities.