EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING IN INDIA

Abstract

Development is a process of structural change in the economic, political, social and cultural domains. It starts with people as they are the primary and ultimate focus of all development. It empowers women through Distance Learning in India, historically explores the causes and reasons for long denial of formal education to women. In recent times, Distance Education has emerged as a boon to women of all ages to equip themselves intellectually through acquisition of knowledge, leading them to new radical methods of thinking, and alternative, lateral perspectives on existing information thus rendering them more autonomous and liberated. It reviews aspects of Gender and distance learning, participatory trends of women in distance learning in India, barriers affecting womens advancement in academia, impact of distance learning on women learners, gender technology and distance learning, technologies for improving distance learning, limitations of distance education technologies, the Indian experience of distance learning. It also relates the success story of distance learning programmes for women run by the School of Distance Education of Mother Teresa Womens University Kodaikanal South India. It also outlines a few important issues for policy action to increase the participation of women in distance learning for their empowerment. Development is a process of structural change in the economic, political, social and cultural domains. It starts with people, their education and their capabilities because people are the primary and ultimate focus of all development. The broader goal of development is to bring the entire population into the mainstream of the national development process, both as contributors and beneficiaries. Development is the development of an individual, each according to his or her potential and in this sense education is a crucial aspect of development. The concept of development and the role of educational systems (both formal and non-formal) are determined by the socio-political economic feature and cultural patterns of each nation. continuing education' which the conventional education system is unable to meet. Further, distance education takes education to places and people hitherto unreached, transcending social, economic and geographical equality and thereby opens a new vista in our striving towards breaking the barriers of `opportunity and equity'. Through distance education it is easier to transport knowledge to people than transport people to the people of knowledge. Because of these special features of distance education, it benefits certain categories of people who for various reasons are unable to avail of the formal education system. These include persons without formal qualifications, persons belonging to different age groups, disadvantages groups, and employed persons. There are large percentages of women in all the above categories. Thus women as a category could really take advantage of the provision of distance education in a large measure. (Jaya Indiresan). 

Keywords

• EMPOWERING
• THROUGH
• WOMEN

References

1. Holmberg, B. (1989). Theory and Practice of Distance Education. Routledge, London.
2. Indiresan, J. (1996).Emerging Technologies in Open and Distance Education, Implications for Women in Women and Emerging Technologies. editors Regina Papa and Yasodha
3. Shanmuga Sundaram, British Council Division. Emerald Publishers, Chennai. Karlene, F. (1988). Towards New Horizons for Women in Distance Education International
4. Perspective. Routledge London. Keegan, D. (1994). Foundations of Distance Education. Routledge, London and New York.
5. Nihal Singh, S. (2001). Prospectus for Women Empowerment. Dynamics for Enablement',
6. Commonwealth Publishers. Pandit, P. V. (1996). Technological Empowerment of Women through Distance Education in Women and Emerging Technologies. Ed Rejina Papa and Yashoda Shanmugasundaram,
7. Emerald Publishers, Chennai. Pillai, K. J. (1995). Women and Empowerment. Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi.
8. Reddy, R. (1988).Open Universities-The Ivory Towers thrown Open. Sterling Publishers, Bangalore.

9. Rengaramanujam, R. (1995).Reflections on Distance Education for India. Manak
10. Publications Pvt., Ltd., New Delhi, 1995.
11. Shahay, S. (1998).Women and Empowerment-Approaches and Strategies. Discovery
12. Publishing House, New Delhi. Sharma, M. (n.d). Issues in Distance Education, in Distance Education, Volume I, Asian Development Bank. Siddique, H. M. (2004). Distance Learning Technologies in Education. APH Publishing
13. Corporation, New Delhi. Tapan, N. (2000).Need for Women Empowerment. Rawat Publications, New Delhi.
14. Valentine, M. M. (1990).Wider Research for Action, Gender Development and Policy:
15. Towards Equity and Empowerment. World Institute for Development Research of the United Nations University.