Training on digital literacy skills is a tremendous instrument for furthering gender equality and all girls’ human rights, allowing and empowering them to reach their full potential and pursue their goals and be active citizens. Nonetheless, young women with disabilities endure diverse and intersecting types of discrimination in practically every area of their life as a result of long-standing societal and gender conventions. When it comes to technology, uneven power dynamics and structural inequities, gender norms, experience with, and abilities in digital technologies and surroundings begin as early in the family, community, and school. Young women with disabilities particularly those in low-income communities, are less likely to have access to the internet and digital devices, have less practical exposure to develop digital literacy and skills, and are more vulnerable to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, harassment, and abuse.
Digital Literacy Skills for Young Women with Disabilities: The Action Foundation’s Efforts.
In bid to address some the above-mentioned gaps, The Action Foundation (TAF), through the Ibuka Mentorship program with support from L’Oreal, is offering Digital Literacy Training (DLT) to post-secondary girls with disabilities to enhance their digital literacy skills and soft skills for employability. TAF is targeting to have reached 800 GWDs by 2025; and 40 out of the 800 to be TOTs and offer continuous mentoring support to other girls with disabilities in the society. TAF has partnered with Ministry of Education-state department for Technical and vocational training, Department of Special Needs Education, Technical institutes and key stakeholders in the ICT industry.
During DLT trainings, the girls are taken through technical concepts like how to use a computer, using internet to access information/make applications; and soft skills for employability.
So far 110 young women with disabilities have been equipped with digital literacy skills. The impact of the training transcends the career path. Before the DLT training 85% of the girls reported to have never interacted with a computer, but after receiving training on digital literacy skills, their confidence and attitude towards the use of technology changed. 50% of the trained young women with disabilities have been able to register for online courses on platforms like Ajira, Coursera and Alison.
During DLT at Machakos Technical Institute for the Blind one of the technical trainers Coded M during a Key Interview session said;
“Digital literacy training is impactful for post-secondary girls with disabilities since it helps them access information from the internet, do research and market their business more so those doing knitting and be able to transact online.”
Creating fair access to opportunities for young women with disabilities requires a collaborative effort to identify prejudices, challenge the current quo and purse inclusion. TAF is working towards it, how about you?