Victorian Women’s Trust chair Alana Johnson said recent data showed there remained significant barriers for rural women accessing the digital world.
“These barriers are exacerbated by the fear and shame that women may experience when seeking IT assistance,” she said.
“At our open days, women will have the opportunity to connect with other local women, find assistance and answers to all those tech questions that might be confusing, and to get online and try different computer equipment and software.”
Orrvale orchardist Rien Silverstein will be attending as a support person and said it was never too late to learn or improve digital skills.
“It’s really surprising how easy life becomes when you can use the advantages of the internet,” she said.
“For instance, ordering library books online, or even reading books online, reading magazines on topics of your particular interest, listening to podcasts or looking at a webinar.
“All those internet modalities are very useful and once you use them it’s like a whole new world is opened to you.”
Ms Silverstein encouraged other women in rural communities to come along to the event.
“No question is a silly question and there’s always something else you can learn — it doesn’t matter how skilled you are,” she said.
“It will really advantage a lot of women in our community who are isolated because of illness in family with COVID, but also simply isolated with the tyranny of distance.”
The Rural Women Online program consists of a set of how-to guides, a women-staffed tech help desk and one-on-one mentoring.
The program is a joint initiative of the Helen McPherson Smith Trust and the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation, delivered by the Victorian Women’s Trust.
The open day will be held on Thursday, July 21, from 1pm to 7pm at the Shepparton Library, 41-42 Marungi St.
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