As part of the second edition of the National Gender Fellowship, the Bengaluru Institute facilitated an opportunity for all the Fellows to come together and learn from prominent practitioners on issues of gender in the digital economy. Over two days, the participants had the chance to refine their research projects and receive vital mentorship in a critical, feminist community through lectures, discussions, and workshops.
On Day 1, Nandini Chami led an exploration of feminist thought on technology and Sabina Dewan provided key insights into India’s evolving macroeconomic policy landscape and labor markets. Natasha Susan Koshy examined the pressing issue of the digital divide while Anuradha Ganapathy critiqued the notions of equity and justice in the platform economy and offered pathways to reimagine emancipatory approaches to e-commerce. Fellows were also able to workshop their proposals with experts in the field and set the stage for the collaborative work ahead.
The second day of the proceedings began with Ammel Sharon’s intensive two-part workshop on research design and methods, where Fellows refined their research questions and explored methodologies to tackle gender-specific research problems. For the second half, the focus shifted to gender and labor in the digital economy with Sadhana Sanjay, who unpacked the complexities of digital labor platforms and their impact on women’s work. Shivangi Narayan further opened up the discussion with her session on caste(ing) the digital.
The Institute concluded with an open discussion on fieldwork learnings and closing reflections. The Fellows shared insights and challenges from their past fieldwork experiences and built on their collective knowledge, which helped set the tone for the impactful work ahead and consolidated the community they have found in the cohort of the National Gender Fellowship 2024.
The Institute and the National Gender Fellowship are supported by the European Commission and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung under the project, ‘Re-wiring India’s Digitalising Economy for Women’s Rights and Well-being.’