Empowering Women through Distance Learning in India

Dr. D. Janaki
Mother Teresa Women's University

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     Last modified: August 24, 2006
     Presentation date: 11/01/2006 10:00 AM in NT Portland A
     (View Schedule)

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.