SOUTHERN Grampians women benefited from a digital open day held at the Hamilton Library last Tuesday.

The open day was 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.

Victorian Women’s Trust chair, Alana Johnson, said recent data shows there is still significant barriers for rural women when it comes to accessing the digital world, including ability-based barriers.

“These barriers are exacerbated by the fear and shame that women may experience when seeking IT assistance,” she said.

“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?”

Ms Johnson said Rural Women Online offered regional women positive and empowering ways to build their skills through three streams; a set of how-to-guides, a women staffed tech help desk, and one-on-one mentoring.

 “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,” she said.

The how-to-guides – which can be found at ruralwomenonline.org.au – are a self-directed online crash course in tech knowledge, covering subjects from eSafety to how to use common software.

For rural women that require real time assistance, the Rural Women Online help desk can field email and phone enquiries once a week and provide advice that empowers, not condescends.

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 (used) 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.”  

Rural Women Online is a joint initiative of the Helen McPherson Smith Trust and the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation, delivered by the Victorian Women’s Trust.