IJCOPE Journal

UGC Logo DOI / ISO Logo

International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management

A Peer-Reviewed, Open-Access International Journal Supporting Multidisciplinary Research, Digital Publishing Standards, DOI Registration, and Academic Indexing.
Journal Information
ISSN: 3108-1754 (Online)
Crossref DOI: Available
ISO Certification: 9001:2015
Publication Fee: 599/- INR
Compliance: UGC Journal Norms
License: CC BY 4.0
Peer Review: Double Blind
Volume 02, Issue 6

Published on: June 2026

BRIDGING GENDER GAPS IN TELEMEDICINE THROUGH LEGAL POLICY IN INDIA

Shahnawaz Ahmad Isra Nabi Shah

Dr. Jannat ul Firdaus

School of Pharmacy
Sharda University, Greater Noida- 201310, U.P, India,
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i6.228

Article Status

Plagiarism Passed Peer Reviewed Open Access

Available Documents

Download PDF Review Report

Abstract

India’s eSanjeevani platform has enabled over 276 million telemedicine consultations, yet this scale masks a stratified access landscape that systematically excludes women. This paper examines the intersection of gender, digital access, and telemedicine governance in India through secondary analysis of government reports, international publications, and peer-reviewed literature. The Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (TPG, 2020), Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act, 2023), though structurally progressive, remain gender-blind in implementation and fail to address socio-cultural, economic, and infrastructural barriers constraining women’s access. Applying intersectional feminist legal critique, the analysis shows that women from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, rural areas, and low-income households face compounded exclusion. Nationally, only 33.3 per cent of women have used the internet compared to 57.1 per cent of men (NFHS-5, 2022), while India’s gender gap in mobile internet adoption reached 30 per cent in 2023, the highest among surveyed nations (GSMA, 2024). Governance failures, including fragmented coordination, absent gender representation in policy bodies, and inadequate health data protection, exacerbate this divide. Drawing on comparative evidence from Rwanda, Bangladesh, and OECD frameworks, the paper proposes evidence-based recommendations focused on gender-responsive governance, targeted digital literacy investment, and feminist legal reform. Without deliberate intervention, India’s telemedicine expansion risks deepening health inequities.

Keywords: Telemedicine; Gender Digital Divide; India; Health Governance; Digital Health Policy

How to Cite this Paper

Ahmad, S. & Shah, I. N. (2026). Bridging Gender Gaps in Telemedicine through Legal Policy in India. International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, <i>02</i>(6). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i6.228

Ahmad, Shahnawaz, and Isra Shah. "Bridging Gender Gaps in Telemedicine through Legal Policy in India." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, vol. 02, no. 6, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i6.228.

Ahmad, Shahnawaz, and Isra Shah. "Bridging Gender Gaps in Telemedicine through Legal Policy in India." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management 02, no. 6 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i6.228.

Search & Index

Google Scholar Crossref DOI ResearchGate

References


  1. Ahmed, S., & Mahapatro, S. (2023). Inequality in healthcare access at the intersection of caste and gender. Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 15(1_suppl), S75-S85. https://doi.org/10.1177/2455328X221142692

  2. Bagga, B. (2024). Telemedicine in India: Tech-driven democratization of healthcare. APAC News Network.

  3. Bhardwaj, B., & Paul, A. (2022). Telemedicine and its adoption among rural women in India [Working Paper]. https://www.p4i.net

  4. BMC Digital Health. (2024). An analysis of predictors and wealth-based inequality in internet use among women in India. BMC Digital Health, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-024-00090-z

  5. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

  6. Center for Global Digital Health Innovation, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2024). How telemedicine is redefining healthcare access. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

  7. Collins, P. H. (2019). Intersectionality as critical social theory. Duke University Press.

  8. Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139-167.

  9. Deloitte. (2023). India to reach 1 billion smartphone users by 2026. Deloitte India.

  10. Digital Empowerment Foundation. (2025). Barriers to telemedicine use in rural India. DEF.

  11. EY India. (2025). Decoding the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Ernst & Young. https://www.ey.com/en_in/insights/cybersecurity/decoding-the-digital-personal-data-protection-act-2023

  12. Future of Privacy Forum. (2023). The Digital Personal Data Protection Act of India, explained. FPF.

  13. Gideon, J., Gulati, K., & Davies, J. (2024). Health systems in India: Analysing barriers to inclusive health leadership through a gender lens. BMJ, 386, e078351. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-078351

  14. GSMA. (2023). The mobile gender gap report 2023. GSMA Mobile for Development.

  15. GSMA. (2024). The mobile gender gap report 2024. GSMA Mobile for Development.

  16. GSMA. (2025). The mobile gender gap report 2025. GSMA Mobile for Development.

  17. Harding, S. (1987). Feminism and methodology: Social science issues. Indiana University Press.

Ethical Compliance & Review Process

  • •All submissions are screened under plagiarism detection.
  • •Review follows editorial policy.
  • •Authors retain copyright.
  • •Peer Review Type: Double-Blind Peer Review
  • •Published on: Jun 17 2026
CCBYNC

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You are free to share and adapt this work for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution.

View License
Back to Volume 02, Issue 6View All Issues Next Article

← Previous Article

Block Chain Technology for Secure Transaction

Next Article →

Budgetary Control System at Orient Cement Company Limited
Scroll to Top