DigiGirlz Literacy Initiative

Over 80% marginalized girls and women are engrossed with digital ICT Ignorance with no knowledge on  how to use a mobile phone. Learning digital  ICT Literacy skills such as  digital marketing , digital banking and  project management tools can empower  a girl in future to  manage profit for example  learning  how to manage marketing  online and have a touch of the button ,be able to contact a friend on the other side of the world in the ‘new normal era’. Contributes considerably  towards meeting SDGs increation of employment among girls and women, improving their education outcomes and raise economic and physical well-being. Leading to decent work and economic growth as well empowering them to fulfill  job responsibilities especially with COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Empowering marginalized girls and women to use digital information and communication technologies will strengthen networking , increase their voices and influence over decision making for social change.

  Tackling the digital ICT Rural -Urban divide for marginalized girls and women.  Globally, there is a gender digital gap with 12 percent more men than women that use internet, African youth are reported to have the least connected with around 60 percent not on line. Only 13% women own cell phone as against 29% men and confirmed existence of wide ICT gender gap in urban poor resident areas in Kampala ( Wougnet Survey, 2018) 71 percent men are online compared with 48 percent of total population, about 29 percent of youth worldwide around 346 million individuals are not online, (UNICEF, 2017). In Uganda, Girls and women have limited time to pursue ICT skills adoption because they are responsible for over 70% of domestic and care work, Farmilies spend more on ICT education for boys and men than for girls and women, Parents and teachers encourage girls less than boys in pursuing ICT skills, out of school girls tend to exhibit lower self-esteem in STEM, few female role models in technology to drive girls aspirations, have lower access to ICT tools and connectivity than boys and women perceive existing ICT jobs as unattractive because women face gender discrimination in hiring practices.

Exposing young marginalized girls and women to technologies through skilling such as computers and tablets use, smart phones , internet use, e-mail use, social media use and social media that allows them gain skills in digital marketing, digital banking and project management Marketing tools and familiarity with these technologies and become active learners as the get older. It is a ‘train the trainer’ model . It involves Hands-on, in-person training for basic digital literacy ensuring ICT skill adoption among the girls and women.the in-person training gives a quicker learning of basic functionalities eg typing, increases participation and skill adoption and provides transferable skills fostering long term comfort and adaptability with technology.

The DigiGirlz Literacy Initiative  solution will serve marginalized girls and women aged  (12 to 25 )These include girls in and out of school, young women from rural –urban setting. we are engaging local leaders and security officers to share  information about the out of school girls and young women in communities as well as  conducting a house to house survey while observing SOPs to COVID-19. We have identified girls and young women peer leaders who are engaged in mobilizing other out  of school peers girls and young women to subscribe to the initiative. Empowering the girls and women with digital ICT skills will give them chance own a cell phone set, introduce them to modern technologies which will reduce the existing  ICT gap by giving them opportunity to have a touch of the button and create employment within their reach  for example creating websites and marketing business online  for their family members and others, will be able to log online and  be able to contact a friend on the other side of the world in the ‘new normal era’. Any where is possible with such power and endless digital learning possibilities.

Having a problem of marginalized girls and women (12-25 Years) being ignorant about digital ICT in rural -urban communities, we believe that empowering them in  digital ICT skills at their different  levels  would give  the young girls and women chance and opportunities to be trained  and  acquire  knowledge in new technologies and have hands on skills especially in the ''New Normal'' situation . This will improve their education and increase chances of creating jobs for themselves other than being job seekers to earn some income thus improving their standards of living.