| Internet
drives "tech fear" out of Quetta's housewives
and working women |
May
16, 2001 |
In the race to catch Information Technology by the coat
tails, some sections of society sometimes tend to get left
behind. During its workshop on the "Basic Use of Internet
& Email" on May 15 2001, SDNP Quetta decided to
bridge the gap and give the often neglected housewives and
working women a head start. This training was also a part
of the activities related to "International Women's
Day", which was on May 13th 2001. Fifty ladies actively
participated in the event.
This workshop was very unique in the sense that SDNP took
the initiative of giving a chance to the women to get connected
to the world in the privacy of their own homes. For concerned
mothers, the issue of "safe surfing" for young
children on the Internet was also addressed. They were taught
the techniques through which they can monitor which websites
the children can safely see and use online, while avoiding
content suitable only for adults.
Mr. Jan Muhammad, City Coordinator SDNP Quetta, introduced
SDNP's services in promoting Information Technology all
over Pakistan through its Cyber Community Centres (CCCs),
seminars and technical training.
Ms. Zarin Syed provided comprehensive information about
the basic usage of the Internet and its background, structure
and mechanics. Keeping in mind the ladies' interests in
daily life, she illustrated specific examples of some "safe"
sites for young children, websites for fashion designing,
cooking recipes and email for effective communication. They
felt proud to see their familiar newspapers online, like
The News, Dawn, and Jung and special search engines for
kids. Ms Zarin also gave some examples of e-commerce and
its benefits to those women who were interested in selling
their local handicrafts online. Opening an email account
and sending messages helped them keep in touch with family
and friends through this powerful medium of communication.
The ladies sat rapt with attention, surfed actively during
the hands-on session and plied the resource personnel with
constant questions. The idea of anonymity pleased them no
end because they felt free from scrutiny, more comfortable
and at ease on the Internet. They agreed that the workshop
had helped them to get rid of their intangible "tech
fear" of technological devices like computers and the
Internet.
The participants felt that the Internet experience was an
extremely liberating one. They were happy to learn that
SDNP was at the forefront of spreading the technology slowly
but surely across the length and breadth of Pakistan, and
that a world of information was now accessible at the click
of a mouse. In the end, the ladies thanked SDNP for conducting
such informative training for them and adding a thrilling
new dimension to their lives.
