DW Akademie’s Women At Web Regional Project
DW Akademie’s Women At Web regional project consists of four sub projects, namely Women At Web Tanzania, Women At Web Uganda, Women At Web Kenya and Women At Web Rwanda. To understand why the project, it is important to know that Equal access to ICTs is not sufficient in itself to close the gender digital divide. Beyond having access to the Internet and related technologies, women need to have the knowledge and resources to translate access into effective use. Women however face a series of obstacles when it comes to free use of ICTs. Some of these obstacles are related to the education gap affecting women. Lower levels of literacy and numeracy align with lower levels of technological skills.
DW Akademie realised that the Digital media development in East Africa has opened up unprecedented opportunities for women. Yet, digital challenges such as cyber violence against women have proven to be a stumbling block in enhancing digital participation for women and girls. Many of them shy away from participating in controversial online discourses and end up practicing self- censorship. Data on the problem is not easily to find, little is being done to protect women and girls online and many of the cases go unattended or even unreported.
It is on that note that the DW Akademie organised a stakeholder meeting in Nairobi from December 5th to December 7 in 2017. A mixed crowd of twenty experts of Human Rights activists in the media profession from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya were brought together to identify the needs and come up with solutions to the problem. Tanzania was represented by Asha D. Abinallah, Catherinerose Baretto, Tulanana Bohela, Carolyne Ekyarisiima, Carol Ndosi, Saumu Mwalimu, Gasirigwa Sengiyumwa, Kenya was represented by Catherine Gicheru, Henry Maina, Racheal Nakitare, Marceline Nyambala, Scheaffer Okore, Aisha Ali Haji Uganda was represented by Josephine Karungi, Lindsey Kakunda, Lady Slyke, Dorothy Mukasa, Patricia Twasiima Bigirwa, Wakabi Wairagala and Yona Wanjala.
The Nairobi meeting led to another meeting in Arusha Tanzania from 6th to 9th of March 2018. The second’s meeting goal was discussing the submitted ideas initially submitted as agreed from the Nairobi meeting and designing the projects per country needs.
These meetings identified personas of the women at web targets into three groups as defined according to use.
The goal for the Women At Web project, has been to enhance women’s digital participation online and to ensure that they can actively participate online as a safe space. Apart from participation and enabling them to engage in dialogue and discussion, there is also a disparity on how women and men use the internet in Tanzania. Women at Web Tanzania is a new project initiated and funded by DW Akademie with the aim of bridging digital inclusion by promoting digital literacy and digital citizenship amongst women in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda).
Media Convergency is a co-implementer in Tanzania for the DW Akademie’s Women at Web Project. For further information about the Women At Web Tanzania project you can visit our social media pages through this link — https://linktr.ee/WomenAtWebTZ
For contacts drop us an email |womenatwebtz@mediaconvergency.co.tz
