The Carter Center selected 13 cities from around the world, including Cape Town, to participate in its first global Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign. It was launched on International Women’s Day on 8 March as a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This week, another group of women received their certificates for completing the programme at the Retreat Library.
Each city had to present a plan that was appropriate and suitable for their respective city’s needs, keeping in mind the local dynamics and socio-economic circumstances to advance women’s access to information. The City of Cape Town’s Library and Information Services Department facilitated access to information in this project.
The initiative was launched at Retreat Library earlier this year and is one of 14 libraries participating in the initiative.
The City’s Executive Mayor Dan Plato said that the campaign has been of great value to women in these communities.
‘The women of our city are the backbone of families and communities and their aspirations and hope for the future is very important. Through this campaign, hundreds of women from various communities have benefited through the empowering skills that they gain towards digital and information literacy and the shared learning groups. Having just marked Women’s Month, the initiative has helped to highlight how greater access to information about city services can empower them and broaden their access to opportunities,’ said Executive Mayor Dan Plato.
The programme will run until October, but will have a lasting positive impact on the women who receive the training.
‘Libraries are at the heart of knowledge sharing, upliftment and the empowerment of women. Our facilities are more than just places of books, but also spaces where lifelong education and access to information and services is possible. Libraries provided the space, where the women who took part in the programme and are graduating, could access a number of services which may have enhanced their social, spiritual or economic status. I hope their achievement will inspire confidence in their own capabilities and abilities,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
How the campaign worked:
Each participant required a library card to access the digital service at the 14 participating libraries, allowing them to make use of the wealth of resources at these facilities.
In the digital age, libraries have become a key source of information for many people who may not have access to the internet from their homes, thereby providing a host of additional resources to those who tap into this free service.
Having completed a six-week engagement process with various components, they are now able to help others within their communities be empowered with the necessary skills to access information.
‘It is a well-known fact that when we empower women and girls, we empower communities and society. Knowledge and access to opportunities are pivotal if we want to equip women with the agency to make their own decisions. The Inform Women, Transform Lives Campaign is making a huge contribution to empower women across Cape Town and I am proud to be part of this programme,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Sharon Cottle.
The skills training was implemented through the SmartCape service. SmartCape is an existing service launched in 2005 and designed to help Cape Town residents access the internet, free of charge. It also provides a portal to municipal services and the various opportunities that are available at the City.
Over the course of the six-week training programme:
They received digital training, including the use of the SmartCape service at public libraries.
Learning circles provided a platform for sharing experiences and for enabling access to municipal information and programmes that are targeted at women development, while leveraging technology for progress and economic inclusion.
A total of 400 women ultimately benefited from this initiative.
The 14 libraries that participated in the Inform Women, Transform Lives project were:
Mamre
Du Noon
Scottsdene
Langa
Hout Bay (for women in the Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu community)
Nazeema Isaacs (based in Khayelitsha)
Kuyasa
Melton Rose (the Kleinvlei community)
Adriaanse
Delft South
Manenberg
Hanover Park
Weltevreden
Retreat
Access to information is a fundamental right under the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and is critical for the exercise of civil, political, social and economic rights.
Source: City Of Cape Town