Our colleague Sreerupa recently took the stage at the 7th Delhi Digital Conclave – Equal by Design, organised by the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. As part of the panel “The Personal is Political: Gender in Intimate Spaces,” she brought a sharp gender lens to critical conversations on Digital Public Infrastructure and AI governance.

As India advances initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and the Poshan Tracker, digital systems are increasingly embedded in intimate spaces—homes, caregiving relationships, and communities—where 3.5–4 million frontline women workers sustain both service delivery and the digital architectures behind them.

Drawing on ISST's study, Digitalisation at the Frontlines: ASHA's Experiences across Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala and Meghalaya, she highlighted a key insight: digitalisation is not neutral—it reshapes care, labour, and power. Care work is increasingly datafied, unpaid digital labour is expanding, and “always-on” expectations are reshaping autonomy and accountability.

And yet, when designed with intention, digital tools can strengthen agency—improving information flows, enhancing coordination, and deepening community trust.

Equality by Design must go beyond device access. It requires:
✔ Recognition of care as work
✔ Fair distribution of digital labour
✔ Protection from surveillance and overwork
✔ Participatory design that centres frontline workers

Digital transformation must advance justice and dignity—not reproduce inequality at scale.