Redefining the Role of Digital Women in the Service Sector

Redefining the role of Digital Women in the service sector

By

Ms.R.Thamaraiselvi

Coimbatore.

Email: thamaraiselvi2007@gmail.com

Redefining the role of Digital Women in the service sector

Ms.R.Thamaraiselvi[1]

                 With the advent of the information age, Information Technology has become a potent tool for the economic growth and empowerment of people.  It provides promising career opportunities in every one’s day to day life, especially WOMEN.

               Information and Communication Technology is the leading industrial sector that is attributed to high literacy rate, ability to communicate and high level of skills too.  These attributes are closely associated to Women professionals and thereby fitting appropriately into any Information Technology related work lives.  It has tremendous impact on their working styles, working environment and also improved   their quality in performance.

               Everyday newer opportunities are created rapidly for the growing Women generations in the Information Technology related applications.  The specialized applications of Information Technology and Careers, which are emerging to provide services using these applications, are called “IT ENABLED SERVICES INDUSTRY”.

            Today, one of the optimum users of Information Technology in any economy is Women.  Their dependency on technology for the work force and efficiency is highly increasing.  Technology has paved way for the growth and development in every woman’s life.  The career opportunities emerging in the Information Technology enabled service sector are broadly classified as follows:

1.  RAILWAYS – The use of technology in ticket bookings, checking, cancellation processes are no more tedious but faster.  Even through internet it is manipulated effectively with full particulars. The network of the railways are widened to an extent that women with electronic and computer qualifications are well placed at their convenient regions throughout the economy.

1. AIRLINES – Similarly, the next largest service sector that uses information technology for its customers is the airline industry.  They are widely spread everywhere in the globe.   Many Women with good personality, communication skills and computer qualifications are placed in this sector.  They facilitate quick transmission of information about arrivals, delays and departure of the vehicles. Also provide their knowledge in bookings, cancellation and customer relations through computers in the daily routine. 


2. BANKING – Today Banking is made easy through technology at anytime and anywhere.  The recent facilities like credit cards, debit cards, ATM, Western money transfer, teller system and e-banking are made possible only through the great number of Woman with computer applications.  They make the services simplified and speedup the transactions to the customers using technologies.


3. INSURANCE – Information Technology has completely transformed the way insurance in handled now.  Through technology,  the Woman employed in both Public and Private companies are providing quick and valuable services to their clients.  The defaults are minimized and with effective communication the customers are well-treated.


4. HOTEL INDUSTRY – With business going global and travel increasing manifold, the demand for Women in this service sector is growing. In this digital era, communications, arrangements and the best facilities are provided to the satisfaction of the customers. Women are absorbed in this industry for their attributes of elegance, interpersonal skills and environmental knowledge.  No wonder they make the hotel industry a great success with the help of information technology.


5. EDUCATION –Education has been revolutionized as a result of Information Technology.  The right content and right delivery of message in this area are made, updated, indexed, retrieved and disseminated through Women with technological background. 

The students are instructed in an interesting and consistent way through very many Women facilitators only.  They make it reachable to any part of the globe using technologies.  Most of the education in this digital era is possible through electronic and communication media and it is processed by the women.

1. TELECOMMUNICATIONS - For several decades, the telephone operators and receptionists were tend to be only Women.  Even now, with the discovery of pagers, mobile phones, internets, fax etc.   demand for women in such kind of services are enormously growing.   They have the ability to communicate excellently, appropriately and also timely.  Telephone exchanges have been made digital to serve the increasing population in every nook and corner resulting in efficiency and cost reduction in this sector. The value added services like Call waiting, Caller identification, automatic response, Call divert   and SMS have facilitated Women to work with technology.


2. CALL CENTERS – Another area with large employment potential is the operation of call centers.  Women are recruited   to answer customers’ queries, listen to their complaints and provide solutions.  Their knowledge, skill and quick response helps to make their career in this sector.  Appropriate training with basic Information Technology knowledge is required for a Woman to acquire such jobs.


3. MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION – An Information Technology enabled service called medical transcription service has emerged in the last few years.  They mainly require Women only to read the prescriptions and case histories of Doctors, to understand the medical terms and key them to make a readable copy.  It requires women with knowledge, training, skills and good language for such technology based services.


4. PRINTING & PUBLISHING – The new career of E- books, E-Journals, E-publishing and Web-designing are popular in the present scenario.  It appears to be convenient, paper-less, quick in service and also research oriented in its function.  This process is lead by women with computer knowledge and skill towards the laborious work relating to printing and publishing.  World - wide web pages are created through technologies used by women in various parts of the globe.  They make attractive, interesting and informative too.


5.  HEALTH CARE CENTERS – Many hospitals are modernized and provide all kind of special services under one roof using the latest technologies in medical field.  Apart from doctors and surgeons, there large numbers of technical assistants working at Laboratories, scan centers, radiologists, pharmacy, researchers using electronic instruments along with their medical knowledge and acquired skills.  They seem to be successful even as dieticians and psychologists using electronic media for interacting with their customers for remedial measures.


6.  TRAVEL & TOURISM – Tourism is one of the popular industry that is gaining significance all over the world.  Women have fixed careers in this industry also to serve the customers through information Technology in promoting, distributing and even interacting to their best.  They use the skills of communication and technology together in order to survive with their responsibilities.


7. ENTERTAINMENT -  Women are also found in the entertainment sector like Media, Ad agencies, Theme parks, Movie, photo studios, fashion designers, models, animations, artists and other talent oriented areas.  The take the maximum advantage of the information technology in their work force and try to improve their performance through creativity in technology.


8.  CONSULTANCY – Presently, Women are slowly emerging into consultancy in the areas of recruitment, selection, family oriented, legal, technical and sales & advertising.  With minimum knowledge and higher skill with usage of information technology women are able to perform well in consultancy projects.  They are making-up their career on their own through effective means of technological innovations.

1. OTHERS – The other types of careers meant for professionally qualified women are Systems analysts, Programmers, Embedded System Designers, VLSI designers, DSP programmers, Network professionals, Quality Assurance Professionals, Customer support professionals in installing hardware and software and Trainers of all levels providing knowledge and create awareness with the help of information and communication technology.

 Henceforth, Information Technology can offer significant opportunities for women and exists as an important tool in meeting Women’s needs.  It also provides them access to use resources and prove their skills in the competitive digital society.  However, their ability to use the advantage of these opportunities is contingent upon the factors enumerated below:

Ø  EDUCATION relating to technology to develop knowledge and skill for using the newer versions of information technology

Ø  INFRASTRUCTURE to increase the facilities and extending the access to the communication and information technology area

Ø  POLICY concerned with the issues affecting women to adopt technology in their mode of work

Ø  AFFORDABILITY to every woman in the digital society for reaping the benefits from Information technology and also to overcome the constraints identified among women.

 Therefore, it is imperative to take necessary steps to ensure that each and every woman in today’s digital era avail the growing opportunities in Information and Communication Technology industry.  More number of Women should be allowed to be exposed to the changing current trends in this sector.  Women can boost their ability to process the information with speed and accuracy as per the requirements in this digital revolution.  Information Technology is an integral part of any human life and why not WOMEN revolutionize the way of their lives and work through the application of information technology?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ø  BOOKS

1)   Managing Information Technology by Bhushan Dewan, 2002 edition, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

2)   IT Tools and Applications by M.L.Singla & Ashwani Kumar, EXECEL Books Pvt. Ltd. 2003 edition.

3)  Introduction to Information Technology by V.Rajaraman, 2003 edition, Prentice Hall Publication.

Ø  WEBSITES

1)  Science & Technology Information Institute

2)  Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology

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[1] Freelance HR  Consultant