Project information

StatusFinalist
URLGo to website
CategoryEducation
Lifelong and informal learning
CountryArmenia
Operational areasUrban
Target groupsYouth, Women
Fixed connectionDialup, IDSN, Cable
Wireless connectionWiFi, GSM
Access pointsSchool, Library
InteractLandline Phone, Desktop Computer, Cellphone, Laptop, PDA
Software License TypesProprietary

Project location

Random images Challenge 2008

Young Women Internet Club

  • Brief description
  • The project designed to involve young women from socially vulnerable groups of population and low-income families in ICT through giving them new knowledge and skills that will help them to find employment using newly gained knowledge.
  • Vision, Objectives and Goals
  • The project is a follow-up of the CDCS successful project Young Women Leadership Institute. At the Institute the following subjects were taught: English Language, Computer literacy, Human and woman rights, Introduction to gender, Healthy Life Styles, Personal Leadership, Work Ethic /team building, Civic Education, Basic knowledge of business, NGO management. The Young Women Internet Club, with main goal to familiarize young women with the ICT, was organized as a follow-up of Young Women Leadership Institute. At the Club ICT training program has been organized with free access to library and Internet.  After the downfall of the Soviet system and the declaration of independence of Armenia, the social, educational and economic situation in Armenia has sharply changed due the change of the political system and moral values.  As a consequence of the transition to a market economy, education has become costly.  It no longer is quite so readily available and the state quota of free education is decreasing every year.  On the other hand, the school system itself is unable to provide systematic education due to a whole range of problems, including inadequate staffing because of low pay, lack of textbooks, temporarily closing down schools in winter months due to power shortages, deteriorating school facilities often with no running water or sewage.  Girls from such backgrounds are in the worst situation, since even if such a family has any money that can be used towards education, it will almost certainly go to educating young men. The majority of young women (17-22 years of age) from socially vulnerable backgrounds in Armenia do not have opportunities to continue their education nor to acquire professional skills that would help them find suitable employment.  As a result, most of them are unemployed and often have to resort to prostitution.  Their isolation from society and the eventual social regression in the life of these young women in most cases leads to their non-involvement in any kind of civic activity in their future life.In the transition period young women have found themselves in an especially vulnerable situation.  Statistics shows that unemployment rates are higher in women than in men. Young women are at a special risk, since jobs are limited; some have resorted to prostitution locally or are victimized by traffickers in women, the latter becoming of increasing concern in the region over the past decade. The project addressed the developmental needs of young women, specifically self-esteem, employment, civic awareness, thus enabling them to become fully productive members of the new Armenian society. The ICT is relatively new for Armenia in general and is not accessible especially for poor people and majority of  young women from poor families even never saw computer and  have not only access to Internet, but also have no  idea about Internet.   The project long- term goals are  to help young women to became active persons/citizen and to reduce prostitution rates in young women through integrating them in society. The projects short- term:
    • to assist young women from vulnerable and low-income families in getting the access to ICT
    • to improve young women’s opportunities for successful employment
     In March, 2007 in order to reach these goals regular classes on computer literacy for 60 young women training on Internet as well as permanent group and individual consultations were organized. A library with Internet access was established not only for current trainees, but also for 320 alumni of the Young Women Leadership Institute. During the training process young women four groups of young women were formed with 15 women in each. A specific curriculum designed for Club was elaborated. The physical space of the project contains a library, 15 computer workstations with Internet access, classroom and other meeting space as required.  The classes are equipped with equipment contributed by the CDCS. They are enriched with literature and other sources of information. At the end of each computer class the graduation ceremony will take place and certificates will be distributed. Celebration ceremony are hold in Yerevan, with invitation representative of local and international NGOs, donor organizations as well as members of Parliament, governments and media. The first graduation ceremony was held for the first group of 60 women in December, 2007.
  • How does ICT contribute to the organisational objectives
  •  

    Since the mission of our organization is to promote ideas about democracy and civil society, women's and minority rights, pluralism/diversity (cultural, linguistic, religious and political) and our over-all objective is to foster a civil society through civic education this project will be one more step to achieve our long-term goal, through providing young women with vulnerable background access to ICT 

  • Transferability

  • Such project can succesfully be implemented by small private group or foundation

  • Project summary
  • The project is of particular importance because of the existing situation when Armenia faced the problem of transition from totalitarian regime to democracy, from planned economy to market relations and the issues of promotion and dissemination the world achievements of ICT become a priority for our society. We have a task to promote ICT not only within the Armenian educational institutions, but also in public at large, most importantly for younger generation.