Every October 15 spotlights the often-overlooked heroines residing in rural communities as part of its global awareness drives.
Established by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 2007, the day was set to honour the crucial roles rural women play in shaping agriculture, rural development, food security and fights against rural poverty.
Towards empowering the women, they were on the International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) offered technical and digital skills in financial knowledge.
Help in Jiwa Village in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the programme was said to be a response to the significant challenges faced by rural women, who often lack access to essential resources and fair economic opportunities.
The UNGA had described rural women as the backbone of food security, climate resilience and local economies, saying, “however, they encounter multiple barriers including limited access to land, credit, and agricultural inputs, along with the harsh reality of receiving lower prices for their agricultural produce. Additionally, the gender digital divide disproportionately affects rural women in Africa, making access to technology and its benefits a major challenge for them.”
To boost chances for these set of women however, the Equipher5Growth Initiative launched by Tech Herfrica seeks to bridge the divide by empowering over 150 rural women with the tools to navigate the digital world.
Through a comprehensive training programme conducted in Pidgin English and Hausa languages to enhance comprehension. Participants were made to learn ways to use digital technology to access essential information and to boost agricultural productivity in the face of climate change and as well, to reach new customers.
The rural women trainees also gained knowledge about the benefits of e-commerce and received internet-enabled smartphones, enabling them to access the digital marketplace.
Also, the training had hands-on practical sessions in addition to the theoretical aspects. Organized into 15 clusters, the women were taught how to utilize social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook groups for their businesses.
They also learned to capture compelling product photos and to create effective product descriptions.
In addition to digital skills, the programme included financial literacy training, helping the women to understand the importance of savings, profit calculation and maintaining proper financial records. The knowledge gained also extended to accessing financial services, including health insurance, long-term saving plans and loans.
A Tech Herfrica representative. Imade Bibowei-Osubeni, said the significance of digital inclusion for the rural women was to create for them a means of sustainable poverty reductions, while calling on all stakeholders to contribute to building an inclusive economy that leaves none of them behind.
She said her team believes in the compelling example of how digital empowerment can uplift women in the rural settings, providing them with the tools they need to reach their full potentials in the digital age.
According to UNGA, the IDRW stands as a reminder that with knowledge and resources, rural women can play more and better significant roles in shaping the world around them, and ultimately contributes to stronger rural communities and economies.
