Digital Literacy and Inclusive Growth: Examining Digital Empowerment of Female Students in Lahore

Abstract

The digital economy has created various entrepreneurship opportunities for women in Pakistan. E-commerce platforms and online marketplaces have enabled women to start their own businesses, reach a larger customer base, and overcome traditional gender-based constraints. The ability to operate businesses from home has also provided flexibility, allowing women to balance their work and family responsibilities. The primary objective is to explore the digital empowerment status of female students in Lahore. This study utilizes a modified scale for the dependent variable, focusing on the dimensions of digital awareness, legal understanding, and economic aspects of digital empowerment. To investigate digital empowerment, the questionnaire is distributed to gather data from 390 female students of both public and private universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Data is analyzed using Smart-PLS 4 and SPSS, while graphical analysis is done through R studio. Frequency, mean, standard deviation, and percentage of variables are calculated for data analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis CFA is used to evaluate the hypotheses. The results reveal that the majority of the 65.3% of respondents have a medium level of digital empowerment.  Income has a positive and significant impact on digital empowerment. Digital literacy skills, digital training, and internet skills have positive and significant impact on digital empowerment. Independent variables are considered as important factors in promoting digital empowerment among female students. Institutions and discipline negatively and significantly influence digital empowerment. Additionally, the study examines female students' access to a digital device and their internet usage behavior. Results show that 25.9% of respondents do not have access to the device at home. This research endeavors to pave the way for policy formulation aimed at empowering young female students with essential digital literacy skills that align with international standards.