Lagos – Nigeria March 8, 2019:
On 8 March, the Women’s
Technology Empowerment Center (WTEC) facilitated digital literacy and wedsite
design sessions at a one day workshop and sensitization event in Ikeja, Lagos
for 25 women, including seven female migrant returnees from Libya. The workshop
was organised for the International Women’s Day (IWD), by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria. The event was conducted also in
collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty
Alleviation WAPA).
The IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of
migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist
in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide
humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally
displaced people.
The aim of the event was to use technology-related skills to enhance the
socio – economic, and psychosocial reintegration of migrant and potential
migrant women, as well as to use those skills to raise more awareness on the
dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking and promote safe migration
practices.
The workshop focused on website design and basic digital literacy which
were facilitated by W.TEC’s team. The event also provided a platform for women
returnees to share their irregular migration experiences which surely will
encourage many more women to migrate legally than embarking on dangerous
illegal journeys.
The workshop featured an opening presentation session by the
organizers which was followed by the digital literacy hands on session. Alex
Cole, the IOM Nigeria Programme Support Officer, said at the event during her presentation; “With
women being underrepresented in numerous fields, it is vital to equip them with
the necessary skills so that they have equal opportunities for employment,
leadership positions and decision making at all levels,”. she added “It is
therefore important to teach young female returnees and potential migrants, digital
and tech related skills to help bridge the digital gender divide,”.
Adesola Onipede representing the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs
and Poverty Alleviation also said during her presentation. “It is
important that a woman is self-reliant and learn a vocation of her choice. I
encourage migrant and vulnerable women to key into services provided by the
ministry,”,
W.TEC is indeed proud to work with the IOM of the United Nations to
positively empower our women with ICT skills that will aid their new business
efforts successfully to help them encourage and inspire others to leverage on
technology skills to move ahead in life. Our observation of the participants
indicated that the women were highly intelligent and showed their capacity to
use their new tech skills.
Participant Testimonies
“I graduated from computer science before I migrated to Libya but I
could only do theoretical things. Now I can design a website by myself for my
fashion business and also build for my friends,” said Oriola Abiola Azee, who
learned how to build a website at the event.
This testimony was echoed by another participant, Emenike Chiamaka, who
designed a website to help victims of human trafficking during the training.
This Joint Initiative according to the IOM is implemented by IOM to
support the voluntary return and sustainable reintegration of vulnerable
Nigerian migrants stranded across the Mediterranean migration routes.
For 2019 W.TEC is excited to mark the International Women’s Day in a
special way by partnering with IOM and WAPA to uplift the vulnerable women of
our society. Thus W.TEC looks forward to further partnering with the IOM to
empower more of our women in Nigeria.
About
W.TEC
The Women’s
Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) is a Nigerian non-governmental
organization working to encourage Nigerian girls and women to use information
and communication technology (ICT) to empower themselves socially and
economically. This is done through technology literacy training,
technology-based projects, mentoring, work placement and research. W.TEC works
in partnership with local and international NGOs, educational and research
organizations.
For more information about the workshop get in touch with:
Yemi Odutola (Communication Officer – W.TEC),
+234.809.698.7541
Email: info@wtec.org.ng
Website:
www.wtec.org.ng
Twitter: @wteconline
Facebook: @wteconlinepage