SWAN Hill women will benefit from a digital open day next week at the Swan Hill library.
It’s part of the Victorian Women’s Trust Rural Women Online program – an IT program designed by women for regional Victorian women to build their digital skills in an open, empowering and positive environment.
“At our Rural Women Online Open Days, women will have the opportunity to connect with other local women, find assistance and answers to all those tech questions that might be confusing, and to get online and try different computer equipment and software,” Victorian Women’s Trust chair Alana Johnson said.
The Swan Hill session is on August 12, from 10am to 2pm.
“Recent data shows there are still significant barriers for rural women when it comes to accessing the digital world, including ability-based barriers,” Ms Johnson said.
“These barriers are exacerbated by the fear and shame that women may experience when seeking IT assistance. How many of us have felt silly when asking a computer question or worried that we might be judged for our perceived lack of technical abilities?
“Rural Women Online will offer regional women positive and empowering ways to build their skills and it all starts at our Mildura and Swan Hill open days.”
Rural Women Online consists of three streams; a set of how-to-guides, a women staffed tech help desk and one-on-one mentoring.
The how-to-guides, at ruralwomenonline.org.au, are a self-directed online crash course in tech knowledge, covering subjects from e-safety to how to use common software.
For rural women that require real time assistance, the Rural Women Online help desk will field email and phone enquiries once a week and provide advice that empowers, not condescends.
And 300 Victorian regional women will be able to access 30 hours of one-on-one advice and mentoring, with entry to the program based on a woman’s existing digital skills, hardship, remoteness and if they live in bushfire-affected areas.
“At the end of the program, the brand new, up-to-date infrastructure we bring for the open day will stay in location for the use and benefit of the whole community,” Ms Johnson said.
“Women in the Victorian regions are immensely capable and deeply resilient. Our program will build on that capacity by ensuring rural women have positive opportunities to build their digital skills.”
