The role of information communication technology in women empowerment and poverty eradication in kerala

Kudumbashree means Prosperity of the Family, the project initiated by the Kerala state government aims at improving the living levels of the poor women in rural and urban areas of Kerala and in India it is a massive poverty eradication programme in contemporary history. It envisaged to bring the scattered poor women talent together to form the grass root organizations to help boost their empowerment and economic security. The project aims at removing poverty among rural women households through setting up of industrious enterprises varied from pickle units to ICT based micro enterprises. The activities of micro-enterprises under the project were undertaken by the locally formed Community Development Societies comprising poor women. It has proved from this Kudumbasree project without doubt that women empowerment is the best strategy for poverty eradication. Through this innovate project the voiceless and powerless women started identifying their inner strength, weakness and opportunities for growth, and started reshaping their own destiny and the process of empowerment becomes the symbol of hope for the family and society. It opens a new landscape in development history of Kerala. In this article we critically analyzing and discussing about the Women ICT based micro enterprise supported by Kudumbasree. The discussion focus on socio economic background of women ICT based enterprises, women empowerment, input/resource support, sustainability, challenges the enterprises facing, success factors, and job satisfaction level among women group members.