Grant Program
BtN Large
Grantee Name
Mali Chapter
City
Bamako
Country
Mali
Region
Africa
OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
The objective of the project is to establish a Digital Women’s Skills Platform (PNCF) to engage women leaders and members of women’s associations from 4 communities in Mali (Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti and Bamako) in the productive use of digital technology.
The specific objectives are: (1) Configure 10 Nano-PCs under Ubuntu, Moodle and other free software to constitute the elements of the PNCF; (2) Design training tools for women in the form of slides, videos, and short texts in French and Bambara; (3) Train women in the productive use of the Internet via the PNCF (how to connect, how to produce relevant content and put it online on the platform, how to observe security rules once on the platform, etc.); (4) Train and make women aware of the dangers that can be encountered on the Internet and how to avoid them; (5) Organize exhibitions and online sales fairs for women’s products at the end of each quarter; (6) Organize online forums on business opportunities between women via the PNCF; (7) Organize online capacity building sessions for women concerning new technologies; (8) Organize training sessions, via the platform, for young girls and women to facilitate their inclusion in local governance; (9) Organize online training and awareness sessions for young girls and women on gender-based violence.
WHY IS THIS PROJECT IMPORTANT?
Malian women live in a very precarious social, political, cultural, and economic environment. Most of them are illiterate and generally work in the informal sector, selling local products in markets. However, at the grassroots level, some have managed to organize themselves into associations and women’s groups to help each other and increase their income.
The project facilitates the inclusion of young girls and women absent from the Internet, promoting an Internet policy that is fair and inclusive. It also strengthens their capacity in the management of their businesses, associations and groups; addresses the peace process and violent extremism, and facilitates their participation in local governance.
MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS
See below for publications and other articles related to the project.