The Federal Government is commencing
a national initiative to encourage more women to use the Internet and
develop their online skills.
The project, called Women’s Online Week (WOW!), will be launched on October 27 by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, together with internationally renowned fashion designer Collette Dinnigan.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 44 per cent of
adult males have accessed the Internet in the past year, compared with 37
per cent of women. It is this imbalance WOW! is seeking to address.
By improving women’s Internet knowledge, the Federal Government is hoping
to increase employment opportunities for women in the Information
Technology sector.
The WOW! Web site, which is the focus of the project, is being developed to
be a year-round resource for women to gain tuition in their online skills,
and access information on health, community services, training
opportunities, entertainment, online banking, and making the most of
Internet services.
