How Digital Opens Big Opportunities for Women

It's amazing how the digital revolution has opened new opportunities, given wings to brilliant ideas, germinated the shared economy and transformed the work scenario for women. The internet interests women both from urban India and rural India. More than 5 million people on LinkedIn claim to be social media experts, according to The Guardian. The scenario has transformed and so have demands of the internet. Digital is a great opportunity for making e-relationships, grow communities, engage with brands, all in seemingly a barrier-less world.

At SheThePeople.TV we are champions of women using the internet to create businesses. We spoke to some startup owners to discuss how it had transformed their lives.

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We asked Saroja Yeramilli, Founder of Melorra, which is an online startup for jewellery on why it is a big opportunity for women. “Who would have thought that a few years ago there will be big brands and companies that are selling apparel online right?," she asks. "Young Indians both men and women are changing incredibly fast. That’s what makes it so inspiring for most of the startup founders to be logged in to that social media, to be logged in to how Indians are behaving today, how Indians are shopping today, and how Indians are consuming content.”

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And, these are irreversible changes, irreversible trends, says Ruche M Mittal, Co-founder of IdeaPerfect Communication, and a Founder of HenIndia. “Between all hassles of career graph and then marriage, post marriage comes birth of a child, being a mother – digitization is the best thing that happened in India today. It gives everybody a fair chance to be in their own space, work in their own time and get connected to the world. Social media makes opportunities same for everybody. That’s the plunge every women are taking in present.”

Anindita Sengupta, Creative Director at Magic Crate agrees but add two reasons to how internet has got women closer to achieving their dreams. “One is obviously the ease of access, use and development. Anyone can be independent in setting up an online business. All they need to know are basics of online sales and find the one expert who can help you setting up a website. Empowering + independent, isn’t it? Secondly, we find a sort of equality when it comes to digital platforms. For example, if a woman owns an online business, there is more acceptance. Whether that has come because of the emergence startup culture in India which is equal across the genders or whether it’s just something that happened with time, it’s something left to be analysed. So yeah the real sense of equality also would motivate women to get online and get going.”

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Sneha Iype, Co-founder and Executive Producer of Nirvana Films asserts that it fosters entrepreneurs, it helps women realise they can start up and not always be stuck to corporate jobs. “The main reason most of the women can achieve what they want while being a part of the digital startup because of the convenience of the way this whole structure is set up." She adds no one should rush into digital but chew what they can bite. "Online business is a great way to startup, it’s a vast way to reach out to many people quickly. And, if you have any doubts then startup small, see how it goes and then anytime you can enlarge the width of your company.”

We believe if these women can take the leap of faith, many more out there can.

Also read: Digital ads take over the Indian market; spends just a little under $ 1bn

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