The Digital Inclusion of Women Project – The Cyberela Project

The project initiated in 1999 with training on the use of internet, the establishment of e-mail addresses and the insertion, in the web site of CEMINA, of each profile of the women belonging to the Women on the Radio Network. In 2002, the radio program “Women Speak Up” became an Internet radio – www.radiofalamulher.com - broadcasting radio programs focused on gender an human rights issues. A contest was organized to choose among the members of the Women on the Radio Network those with potential to manage and animate a radio on the Internet program. They received a computer loaded with software for audio editions, broad band internet connection and a six-month technical assistance, all this aimed to facilitate the quality of their radio programs and the exchange of radio contents through the Internet, establishing, then, a new network, the Cyberelas Network. By associating the mobilizing power of radio with new technologies and by providing the communities access to these new tools, we are strengthening the communities themselves.

A new development of the project is the establishment of a new initiative called the Radio-telecenters with the purpose to promote a broad inclusion of women on the Internet with educational tools that allow for the increase of income of the communities. They will also allow for the improvement of the resources for the radio production regarding, mainly, the research and the edition of the programs and campaigns. The establishment of 17 radiotelecenters has been possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Planning with the donation of satellite antennas for the broad band connections. Bank of Brazil has donated used computers and the Bank of Brazil Foundation has supported 9 of these initiatives with brand new computers, servers, furniture, scanner, printer and a scholarship to pay the monitors for a six-month period.