Main three objectives of this project were: improving the level of digital literacy and digital competences of women from rural area, conducting campaign related to raising awareness and increasing use of new technologies and e-services by women. In 2018, the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications announced a public call for non-governmental organisations to participate in the implementation of this project. Allocated budget was 71.500,00 eur. Conditions for participation in the project implementation included organizing and conducting programs for improving digital competences of women from rural areas which should be in accordance with EU Digital Competences Framework.

According to the Minister's Decision, eight programs submitted by non-governmental organisations were selected for the project implementation. Selected NGOs have headquarter in different cities in Serbia (Beograd, Priboj, Trstenik, Novi Pazar, Niš, Topola), so project activities were conducted in all developing Serbian regions. Every selected NGO organization delivered educational training for about 50 rural women (400 educated women in total). All these women who participated were housewives - they do farming, babysitting, housework and etc, so they did not have any basic ICT knowledge and digital competences before. Training included empowering basic digital skills and competences, such as sending e-mails, creating files, creating profile on social media (Facebook), using digital marketing etc. Bearing in mind the fact that most of rural women produce tradition Serbian products (jam, juices, sweets), it was very useful for them to learn how to make digital promotion of traditional products and sell it online. For some of them the most useful training was about using excel program for simply monitoring and management their monthly costs. The most important fact is that five women from Trstenik found a job after after this educational training and started developing their professional careers.

https://mtt.gov.rs/download/Javni%20konkurs(3).pdf

• Serbia

• Women
• The unemployed
• women from rural area primarily oriented to the household, babysitting, agriculture and animal husbandry

The Ministry continuously conducts educational activities related to ICT development among women and girls. In the 2019, the Ministry announced another public call for non-governmental organisations to participate in the implementation of the project which has two complementary topics: digital competences of women from rural area and ecommerce development.

The result of this project implementation are educated women who had the opportunity to acquire the necessary digital competences and knowledge to participate actively in, and benefit from the information society. Strengthen development of ICT among women results in improved position and more important role of women on the labour market and social life as well. Educational project activities also encourages rural women who have been already producing traditional products, to start their (small) e-business on the ecommerce market.

WSIS values in our community were promoted through project activites that included campaigns and raisinig awareness events aimed at gender equality and access to knowledge in the digital age.