Yashoda AI: Your AI SAKHI

What Happened?
 

1. The Yashoda AI: Your AI SAKHI initiative was formally launched on May 22, 2025, at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

What is Yashoda AI?
 

1. About:
   1. Yashoda AI is a nationwide campaign led by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Future Shift Labs (FSL).
   2. The program aims to boost women’s digital and AI literacy across India, especially among those from rural and semi-urban communities.
   3. The initiative's name “Your AI SAKHI” symbolizes a trusted digital companion for women, promoting learning, safety, and leadership in the evolving world of technology.
2. Objective:
   1. To empower women with knowledge and skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital safety.
   2. To ensure women are not left behind in the AI-driven future.
   3. To support the vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) through inclusive and women-led digital growth.
   4. To foster self-reliance, awareness, and leadership among women in the digital space.
3. Implementation:
   1. The Yashoda AI program is being implemented by the National Commission for Women (NCW) with technical help from Future Shift Labs (FSL).
   2. It mainly focuses on helping women from rural and semi-urban areas, but it also includes students, teachers, and women working in the police.
   3. The program organizes interactive sessions and detailed discussions on important topics like:
      1. Crimes involving Artificial Intelligence (AI)
      2. How to stay safe online and protect personal information
      3. Useful tips and strategies for digital safety
   4. It also supports community learning, where women who receive the training go on to teach and guide other women in their villages or towns. This helps create a chain of learning and leadership at the local level.
4. Significance:
   1. It helps reduce the gap between men and women in using and understanding digital technology by giving women access to AI education.
   2. It gives women the confidence and skills they need to not just use technology, but also to create and protect it.
   3. It increases awareness about online safety and cyber threats, which is very important in today’s world where so much is done on the internet.
   4. The program also supports India’s global promises. At the Global Summit on AI Governance in Paris, the Prime Minister of India spoke about the need for AI that is inclusive and fair for everyone. Yashoda AI helps turn that promise into action.
   5. It supports India’s goal of women-led development, which is a big part of the plan to build a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) in the future.

Challenges:
 

1. Low Digital Literacy: Many women in rural areas do not know how to use digital devices because of low digital literacy.
2. Access to Technology: Many women do not have access to smartphones, computers, or the internet, which makes it hard for them to learn about technology.
3. Social and Cultural Constraints: Social and cultural beliefs sometimes stop women from learning or using new technology.
4. Lack of Infrastructure: In many remote areas, internet connection is weak or unavailable, making online learning difficult and also creating challenging situation for AI’s implementation.
   1. The local infrastructure, such as electricity and internet services, is often not reliable or available everywhere.
5. Inaccessible Locations: It can sometimes be quite difficult to reach women living in very remote or isolated villages due to poor transportation and communication facilities.
6. Language barriers: Language barriers can make learning harder since many digital tools and resources are not available in local languages.

Way Forward

1. Teach Basic Digital Skills: Start more training programs in villages to teach women how to use phones, computers, and the internet in easy and local languages.
2. Provide Low-Cost Devices: Give affordable smartphones and internet access to women so they can learn and use technology at home.
3. Use Local Centers for Training: Use places like schools, anganwadi centres, or women's groups to run digital classes near their homes.
4. Create Content in Regional Languages: Make learning videos, apps, and websites in local languages so that every woman can understand easily.
5. Improve Internet and Electricity: Build better roads, internet connections, and electricity in villages to help women access and use digital tools smoothly.