From online payments and government services to social media and video calls, the internet has become an integral part of daily life. Even as Gujarat witnessed a dramatic rise in digital connectivity over the past five years, particularly among women, the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) shows that while more women are getting online than ever before, a significant digital divide continues to separate urban and rural Gujarat.
The survey reveals that internet usage among women in the state has more than doubled, rising from 30.8% in NFHS-5 to 65.7% in NFHS-6. In simple terms, nearly two out of every three women in Gujarat now use the internet. Men, too, have embraced the digital shift, with internet usage jumping from 52.6% to 83.9% during the same period.
The figures point to a rapidly changing digital landscape, where smartphones and internet-based services are becoming increasingly common. Yet the benefits of this transformation are not being shared equally.
The urban-rural gap remains one of the biggest concerns highlighted by the survey. While 81.3% of women in urban areas have used the internet, only 54.3% of women in rural Gujarat have done so. This means that despite years of digital expansion, nearly half of rural women remain disconnected from the online world.
The disparity becomes even sharper when it comes to owning a mobile phone. Across Gujarat, the proportion of women who own and use their own mobile phone increased from 48.8% to 58.8%. However, ownership levels differ drastically between cities and villages. In urban areas, 76% of women own a mobile phone.
In rural areas, the figure falls to just 46.2%. In other words, fewer than one in two rural women have a phone they can call their own.
The numbers also reveal an interesting trend. While 65.7% of women use the internet, only 58.8% own a personal mobile phone. This suggests that a sizable number of women may be accessing the internet through shared family devices, phones owned by spouses or relatives, or other community resources.
Experts have long linked digital access with education, and the NFHS-6 data indicates gradual progress on that front as well. The share of females aged six years and above who have attended school increased from 72.9% to 76.3%. The proportion of women with 10 or more years of schooling also rose from 33.8% to 38.6%.
The findings suggest that Gujarat is moving rapidly towards a more connected future, with women playing a much larger role in the state's digital growth than before.
Women in action
♦ Women using the internet: 30.8% to 65.7%
♦ Men using the internet: 52.6% to 83.9%
♦ Urban women using the internet: 81.3%
♦ Rural women using the internet: 54.3%
♦ Women owning a mobile phone: 48.8% to 58.8%
♦ Urban women owning a mobile phone: 76%
♦ Rural women owning a mobile phone: 46.2%
♦ Women with 10+ years of schooling: 33.8% to 38.6%
♦ Females who have ever attended school: 72.9% to 76.3%