WOMEN RISE DIGITAL CENTER
THE ISSUES: GENDER INEQUALITY AND POVERTY
- Only 16% of women have access to internet
- There are 1.5 million child marriages in India, the highest in the world.
- Up to 10 million girls are at risk of dropping out of secondary education due to Pandemic.
THE VISION: WOMEN RISE DIGITAL CENTER
While regular business and education activities were disrupted during the pandemic, the women and girls in our SHE and SISTER AID programs personified leadership by forming groups to solve problems. These same girls and women have contributed to the Digital Center program design through surveys, their ideas and comments are summarized below.
BACKGROUND & GOALS
We are seeding a real revolution!
Utilizing an existing structure, located in an accessible and safe central location, THE WOMEN RISE DIGITAL CENTER will expand our current pilot Digital Literacy Program with 5 computers, adding 100 computers to serve 2400 women and girls from 35 nearby villages each year. Professional trainers can also easily access the center from the city. This centralized area will provide critical electricity and Internet connections that are not available throughout these rural villages. Goals of the center include:
1) To improve access to and use of computers, the internet, and e-commerce,
2) To enhance digital literacy skills,
3) To enhance educational preparation and learning opportunities,
4) To expand business opportunities and preparation for professional jobs.
Our pilot program with 5 Laptop computers and Internet connection together with skills training have already shown incredible impact in this community as of June, 2022:
- Girls are getting respect from boys as they shore up their computer literacy.
Girls are helping illiterate farmers who need government assistance but do not have access to information nor can they apply online.
Girls are assisting women with micro-loan business such as helping artisans to access to E commerce.
This expansion of our current Digital Literacy Program will serve as a safe hub and model for replication in other rural communities that are seeking to advance both gender equality and economic development.
SURVEY RESULTS
- Basic computer training, advanced computer and software training (Microsoft)
- Internet research methods
- Introduction to online banking
- English language classes
- Utilizing WhatsApp for communication
- Vocational training to prepare for lucrative job opportunities in the medical and technology fields
- Excel, inventory, and accounting training for the microloan recipients introduction and access to e-commerce tools
- Conducting market research and building sales pages
- Applying for government programs for farming
- Utilizing online design programs to support sari-stitching and other product design innovations.
THE IMPACT: WOMEN RISE DIGITAL CENTER directly addresses the known digital divide for rural communities and women; empowering girls and women with resources and technology to continue their education and connect with the global market and workforce.
Online interactive teaching methods can help to rectify inequalities in education experienced by girls and women. This project will provide a safe hub of computers and internet access for girls to succeed in college/the workforce, and expand the resources and business opportunities for our microloan recipients.
Over the last ten years, we have witnessed that when women and girls demonstrate income earning potential, male family members start to value them as equal members of their community.
Empowered girls now voice their opinions in their families and communities, stand up for their basic rights, and create a new culture where women are valued and respected as leaders. They are role models for the younger generation, creating a positive ripple effect of gender equality into the future. From our recent survey YGB SHE students shared about their sense of empowerment and growth.
“During the pandemic lockdown, people were breaking, we stood beside them and helped our community, our own people, by visiting village to village and home to home. Be it lockdown or Amphan cyclone we never left our community: we distributed food items, hygiene kit, and sometimes dried fruits to keep their hopes alive. We managed to bring back many members who were stuck in another state during the lockdown. These opportunities to serve our community and people was only possible because of NISHTHA programme which has trained us to handle situations like this.”
“To change the world first change yourself. We are going to make a change and NISHTHA is the place where we have changed our self”
–SHE SCHOLARHIP STUDENT
Read YGB Blogs about the growing Digital Divide in India:
Yoga Gives Back is currently fundraising and seeking support for this important project. Email info@yogagivesback.org if you would like to support Women Rise Digital Center.