LAGOS: The Association of Information and Communications Technology women practitioners, under the flagship of Women in Technology in Nigeria, WITIN, has disclosed its plans to rally support for market women in the rural areas. This was unfolded by the group's chairperson, Martha Omoekpen Alade in a statement to newsmen in Lagos. The rally, according to the group, would create web presence for such women to enable their wares or businesses receive attention globally. They explained that rural women contribute critically to household production, National food security and agricultural development in general. Sadly, most of these women are poverty stricken, while others are limited with the barrier of illiteracy and language. Other hindering factors are lack of infrastructures, market access and low prices for their products. Alade noted that linking rural women closely to the global market will tackle some of these challenges and go a long way to empower these women economically and socially. She said that when a woman in a remote village in Jos, for instance, finds market for her handicraft in Lagos city, through the Internet, her life would not only change but she would also appreciate the technology more. The group has however, developed a project tagged ‘Grassroots Women Empowerment' in order to achieve their objective. The aim of the GWEIT project is to provide online presence for women's businesses and also to create a business directory for their businesses, she said.
