Performance of Women in the age of Information Technology: A Snap Short in Indian Working Society

Abstract

The emergence of Information Technology (IT) sector in mid 1990’s has unveiled a potential employment opportunity for women in this organized sector congenially befitting their job environment and offering, in principle, least gender discrimination.  Economic growth and technological advancement in India in the current decade is very impressive. Technology, market and development are considered gender – neutral. In returns of Indian context, the concern over work life balance is gradually becoming a common talk. Being a woman she has to play two roles first is the personal life that means home making and second is the professional life that means from where she earns money for her family to lead life at ease. Each role has its own demand and responsibility. They have to create a balance between these two roles. When such role demands overlap, multiple problems are faced leading to losses for all concerned; the individual, the family, the organization and the society. Professionally, women in it industry have contributed much to the well being of society. They deserve better recognition, remuneration and work conditions. Information Technology (IT) sector, through its employment, contributes substantially to women empowerment. Its employment potentiality provides inspiration to female students to take up technical and professional courses with an eye to the job market. Most reviews reveal that, notwithstanding overall satisfactory gender neutral pursuit by this sector, an optimal level of gender inclusivity is still to be achieved, especially to the senior level. Moreover, this sector requires to be extra – careful in doing away with the prevailing maladies such as ‘Feminization’, ‘Glass ceiling’ etc. The theoretical aspect of individualization in the workplace is palpable but at the societal level, patriarchal strategies dominate on the Indian psyche. The reflection of this paper is arrived at, on the basis of, the inputs drawn from different literatures of secondary sources.

Women are the new paradigms of today’s culture beginning from home to working sector. Women work in three criteria. Women are taking active participation in management, local governance and political fields. Women trend in working sector has changed with globalization. Women are involved in SNA activities. A survey has also been conducted about the nature of women work behaviour. A significant part of women are unpaid because they are socially un-recognized. Women work is rendered invisible because of social perceptions. Women are the resource of our country in every field. Women have shifted traditional assumptions about their roles and capabilities. Women have basic rights about decision making. There are facts and figures about women participating in different roles. In this era women have made comprehensive steps in educational attainment and workforce participation. Women participation in work is one of the proxy indicators of women in overall status in society and gender empowerment. Women are managing complex interfaces between domestic and work culture. This is the very power of women in this 21st century.

This paper attempts to analyze the issues of problems, opportunities, challenges and constraints the women employees face in the Information Technology (IT) sector in India.