Introduction
The women’s ICT training centre is being established by E-Knowledge for Women in Southern Africa (EKOWISA). This project is inspired by current non-use or minimal use of ICTs by women due to gender based disadvantages such as levels of literacy and education, lack of productive resources, lack of time due to the multiplicity of women’s roles in society and cultural assertions that ICT is male domain. ICT illiteracy is prevalent among all types of women e.g. professional women to housewives. Moreover most IT service providers do not offer ICT training that is gender sensitive and responsive to women’s unique circumstances emanating from gender inequality.

EKOWISA intends to enhance the skills capacity of women through gender sensitive training in ICT literacy at reasonable fees. EKOWISA will help women mainstream ICTs into their everyday life. Beneficiaries of the project include women’s NGOs, women entrepreneurs, professional women and women parliamentarians and grassroots women.

Purpose and Objective
The purpose of the women’s ICT training centre is to provide gender sensitive training in applied ICT literacy. The training facility will be gender sensitive and will not be formalized but will be an informal service to enable women to use ICTs effectively and efficiently in their occupations and everyday life without converting them into IT expects.

The objectives of the project are as follows:
• Train women’s NGOs on the effective use of ICT tools for communication and publicity

• Train women entrepreneurs the effective use of ICT tools for efficient business operations and marketing of their products.

• Train professional women on the effective use of ICTs for efficient processes in the workplace

• Train grassroots women on the effective use of ICTs in their everyday life

Description of Project Activities - Modules
The following modules will comprise the basic ICT literacy manual:

1. Basic Introduction to Computers-Switching Computer On/Off, Desktop Environment, Managing Folders and Files

2. Basic Concepts of Information Technology

3. Basic Introduction to Microsoft software products
• Word
• Excel

4. Using e-mail and Internet for business
• Introduction to E-commerce
• Important websites for women in business

More advanced courses that will be offered are:
1. Fair trade and international trade concepts
2. Website development
3. Designing marketing materials for your business
4. Databases
5. Online communication tools like blogging, wikis, e-newsletters, e-discussions, e-conferencing
6. Basics of organisational and strategic communications, working effectively with the media
7. Gender and ICT issues,
8. SMS, and VoIP tools for communications
9. Creative commons and other models of shared licensing

Training Sessions (Times)
The training sessions will be offered two days a week, specifically during mornings (9am to 11p.m) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Trainees will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance/Completion once they complete at least three modules. Each session will engage up to 10 women.

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