Internet Sathi Launched by Google and Tata Trusts in West Bengal to Empower Rural Women

Internet Saathi program has been launched by the Indian unit of search giant Google Inc. and Tata Trusts have jointly launched in Purulia district of West Bengal. The initiative has been launched as part of Google՚s Helping Women Get Online campaign to create alertness about the profits of Internet amongst women in rural India.

Key facts

  • The creativity will in the beginning be rolled out with an objective to reach 1 lakh women in over 400 villages in Purulia district.
  • It mainly focuses on teaching women and larger groups to learn and travel various uses and profits of the Internet.
  • Tata Trusts will play a key role in training women master trainers which is called “saathis” and identified from Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Women՚s federations.
  • Google will compromise the tablet and mobile devices with training material.
  • The master trainers will also trained by it.
  • The creativity covers a responsiveness module, joined with hands-on training modules on how to use the Internet, using mobile devices in their local languages.
  • In July 2015 Internet Saathi program was launched.
  • So far it has qualified and benefitted over 2 lakh women across villages in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Under its Helping Women Get Online Across the country and Google has before trained over 2 million women.

About Self Help Groups (SHGs) :

  • It is a village-based financial intermediary group which is usually composed of 10 - 20 local women or men.
  • A mixed group is usually not preferred.
  • Most self-help groups are situated in India, though SHGs can be originated in other countries, specifically in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Examrace Team at Jun 13, 2016