Following the successful stakeholders meeting held by Tech Herfrica in the Mpape Community, Abuja on March 11, 2023, the organization facilitated a digital financial literacy training in Gishiri community, Abuja on April 29, 2023. The training was designed to empower women traders with the knowledge and skills required to leverage e-commerce and other financial services to grow their businesses.
The training, which was conducted in the local Hausa language for better comprehension, recorded an impressive turnout of 107 women traders from Gishiri community. Prior to the training, only three out of the 107 women had any knowledge of e-commerce, with only three expressing a willingness to engage in e-commerce. Only two women had knowledge of micro pension and health insurance plans. These findings underscore the need for such training in underserved communities, as many women lack the knowledge and skills required to take advantage of modern technologies to improve their businesses’ profitability.
The observations made in Gishiri community revealed that out of the 107 women who participated in the training, a total of 62.6% owned smartphones, with only 4.5% subscribing to data services. Additionally, it was observed that a mere 3% of the participants used WhatsApp.
However, the training was a success, with all 107 women confirming their knowledge and understanding of e-commerce and other financial services such as micro pension and health insurance plans.
Furthermore;
- > 93% of the women expressed a willingness and desire to leverage e-commerce to grow their businesses.
- > Over half of the women also expressed an interest in acquiring health insurance plans, while
- > 45% expressed a desire to acquire micro pension plans.
The training is expected to have a positive impact on the economic growth of the Gishiri community by empowering women traders with the knowledge and skills required to leverage technology to improve their businesses’ profitability. It is also a testament to Tech Herfrica’s commitment to promoting the participation of women in technology to create sustainable development in Africa.