Access to Digital Agricultural Content: Gender Perspectives from Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab
Published by: Admin
Authors: Manisha Bhatia and Guranshpreet Singh Sethi
Abstract
The present study investigates gender disparities in access to and utilization of digital agricultural content among 150 farmers in Fatehgarh Sahib District, Punjab, amid India’s increasing rural internet penetration and dominance of platforms like WhatsApp and YouTube. In Punjab with overall high literacy and relatively higher mobile penetration in rural areas there is great potential of digital agricultural content. But how far has this digital agriculture content reached the farmers? Are there any gender based differences in access to the digital agricultural content? To answer these questions a Gender-wise Digital Access Score (GDAS) was calculated and the analysis reveals that GDAS scores favour males (0.775) outperforming females (0.645). Gender Parity Index (GPI) was also calculated and it indicates near-equitable device access (0.91) and autonomy (0.95) but pronounced gaps in internet connectivity (0.75) and digital literacy (0.71), yielding an overall GPI of 0.82 favouring males. Barriers that hinder effective utilization of digital agricultural content differ starkly: males cite language (57.3%) and unreliable social media sources (32.9%), while females face family restrictions (68.7%) and language issues (62.7%). These findings point deeper skill and connectivity hurdles, limiting women’s agricultural contributions. To bridge these gaps, targeted interventions should promote gender responsive digital agricultural strategies. The policy interventions must move beyond providing access to technology and focus on enhancing digital skills, addressing socio-cultural barriers and creating gender-responsive digital ecosystems to ensure that female farmers can fully benefit from digital agriculture, thereby contributing to agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods and gender equality in Punjab’s food bowl.