Education for women is important not only because it is an entry point for other opportunities, but also because women's educational achievements can have remarkable effects within the family and across generations. This project will reach single mothers from marginalized communities in Mexico by developing their digital skills, there by empowering them so that they can gain confidence, close the gender gap and have a better quality of life.
10 of every 100 women aged 15 are illiterate and more than 3.5 million children (5-17 years old) work and have dropped out of school. Studies show that parents education levels are linked to their children's educational attainment and the mother's level of education is usually more influential than the father's. An educated mother is more likely to work, allowing her to pay some of the costs of schooling, and be more aware of returns to schooling.
By offering courses such as digital literacy, English, online job searching, and self-esteem at the Red de Innovacion y Aprendizaje (RIA), or Learning and Innovation Network, we provide people with the tools they need to use technology effectively. 58% of the 340,000 RIA users are women and of these, 85% are single mothers or stay-at-home moms. Through our programs we help them to develop the skills they need to make positive changes in their own lives, and finally break free from poverty.
More than 340,000 users have registered at the centers and more than 104,000 students have graduated from our courses. With this project we will serve dozens of women and prepare them to strengthen their skills so they can contribute to their children's education and perhaps become involved in income generation activities. In a recent SROI (Social Return On Investment) report, we found that women who enrolled in the RIA were 3.86 times more likely to find a job.
