ICT Training Course for Village Women

A total of 20 small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) undertook the three-day  Utilization Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Promotion Training Course. The objectives of the Training were to enhance women’s household welfare in Indonesia,  and it was held on 7 to 9 February 2012, at the Baranangsiang Campus of Bogor Agricultural University. At the closing ceremony on Friday (10/2), the participants were  evaluated. As a result of the three-day course, hundred percent of the participants have mastered to operate ICT. "They exchange information and promote their products online," said Head of the Division of International Economics Program and Rural and Regional resilience, Center for Agricultural Rural Development Studies (PSP3 IPB), Dr.Lukytawati Anggraeni, SP, M.Sc.

In addition to be skillful to operate ICT, the participants were also trained on  how to access the information on capital markets and promoting networking. Researcher of University of Colorado, USA, Dr. S. Revi Sterling stated that women are the great potential of the world that sometimes are neglected. "If you want to change a community, work with women. Empirical evidence proofed that women are the key to community development or sustainable communities, "said Dr.Sterling.

When women control the ICT then changes will take place more quickly. Therefore, the United Nations (UN) put access to ICT as the third most important problem after  poverty and violence against women in the development of women globally. "ICT can help accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) one of them to reduce extreme poverty and hunger by improving access to market information and reduce transaction costs for farmers or traders," said Dr.Sterling.

Meanwhile, Dr.Haley Hyun, the Women’s resercher of Sookmyung  Women’s University, in her presentation she expressed that the ICT training for rural women is part of the ICT Promotion Program for Rural Women which was designed for Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center (APWNC) which took place in March 2011 – February 2012. "ICT capacity building project was held to accelerate gender equality and empowerment of women in ASEAN," said Dr.Haley. The training was held in cooperation with the PSP3 IPB with Sookmyung Women’s University, which is supported South Korea government,  ASEAN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Korea. (Wied).