Under the Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative and in collaboration with the Centros Tecnológicos Comunitarios (CTC), which represents DTC in the Dominican Republic, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) through its Telecommunication Development Bureau and the Government of Norway contributed to empowering female prison inmates at the Rafey Rehabilitation and Correctional Center in Santiago de los Caballeros through a digital skills training programme.

For many of the women at the Center, life after incarceration represents a daunting challenge, as they lack the tools and knowledge to navigate an increasingly digital world.

That is why CTC partnered with the Rafey Rehabilitation and Correctional Center in Santiago to deliver this training, and equip a group of 50 women with the basic digital skills needed to enable them to reintegrate into society and open the doors to educational and employment opportunities.

The training programme included various courses provided through the DTC Initiative covering topics such as how to use computers, access online resources, navigate job portals and utilise digital communication tools. These skills are critical for the women to access to education opportunities and secure employment, and reconnect with society upon their release.

Speaking about the programme, Annerys Nunez, a beneficiary, shared her experience on how this training has helped her pave the way for better socio-economic prospects:

“Learning about digital tools has made me feel more prepared to face life outside the Center. Now, I understand how to use technology and how to look for job opportunities. More than what I have learned, this is a hope for us because they are giving us real tools to build a different future.”

Betsaida Torres, Director of the women’s wing of the Rafey Rehabilitation and Correctional Center, emphasised the programme’s broader mandate and the impact it will have in the lives of the women who participated:

“This training represents a significant advance in our commitment to promoting the effective social reintegration of inmates. Through these tools, they are not only acquiring practical knowledge but also self-confidence and a clearer vision of their future outside of the Center. Our goal for every woman who passes through Rafey Women’s Penitentiary is for her to be able to rewrite her story and contribute positively to society. Seeing the enthusiasm and progress of the participants confirms that we are on the right path.”

The ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau and the Centros Tecnológicos Comunitarios are planning to extend a similar training programme to the male inmates of the Rafey Rehabilitation and Correctional Center in 2025.

Through the Digital Transformation Centres initiative, ITU remains committed to supporting the DTCs in their efforts to scale capacity development interventions and unlock the digital world for underserved communities.

This training was conducted as part of the “Boosting digital skills through Digital Transformation Centres (DTCs) – Phase 2” project, co-funded by ITU and the Government of Norway.

About the Digital Transformation Centres Initiative

The Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative was launched in September 2019 by the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau in partnership with Cisco, with the objective of supporting countries to strengthen digital capacities of citizens, particularly in the underserved communities. The DTCs become part of a global network of institutions to accelerate the uptake of digital technologies among citizens and boost the capacity of young entrepreneurs and MSMEs to succeed in the digital economy. To date, the initiative has reached over 435,000 (54% female) course participants.

Learn more

This is an ITU Development #DigitalImpactUnlocked story

About the project

Also read