Women Online: A Study of Common Service Centers in India Using a Capability Approach

Meenakshi Rajeev and Supriya Bhandarkar
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Meenakshi Rajeev: Asian Development Bank Institute
Supriya Bhandarkar: Asian Development Bank Institute

No 1327, ADBI Working Papers from Asian Development Bank Institute

Abstract: Income-generating activities performed by women are an effective way to reduce gender deprivations and disparities. In the constrained familial and community settings of developing economies, the online platform can be an appropriate means for women to carry out economic activities. In this context, certain important initiatives taken by the Government of India such as the creation of Common Service Centers are worth studying. We critically evaluate such revolutionary online platform-based entrepreneurial initiatives using the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen. We examine how women-run businesses use the online platform and what determines their success, inputs, capabilities, and conversion factors through a case study method. Further, enterprise-level National Sample Survey Organization data at the all-India level are analyzed to show that the states that have a higher level of gender inequality are also the regions with a lower level of information and communication technology usage by women-run enterprises.

Keywords: common service centers; village-level entrepreneurs; capabilities; online platform; women-run enterprises (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 23 pages
Date: 2022-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ict and nep-pay
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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