The Council for Economic Empowerment of Women of Africa, Uganda chapter (CEEWA-U) with support from International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is implementing an Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) Project to promote Community Economic Empowerment. The main objective of the project is to enable women entrepreneurs and women organisations that promote enterprise development to explore ways and means of exploiting ICTs for community economic empowerment.

Through ICTs, women will be able to access and utilise information that is relevant to the development of their existing enterprises. In the process, women will be empowered leading to entire community being economically better off.

A baseline survey was carried out to identify the women entrepreneurs and women organisations to participate in project localities and to identify their information and training needs for enterprise development. During the survey information needs on markets, prices, credit, advisory services and training were identified. Useful associate organisation and institutions to participate and provide information to meet the identified needs for enterprise development were earmarked. The information obtained on training was used to design a training program for women entrepreneurs in enterprise development and ICT use and application in their enterprises.

A Women Information Resource Electronic Service (WIRES) centre based in Kampala, connecting two rural sites (Nabweru and Buwama) has been established with points of contact with participating women entrepreneurs and women's organisations. It is a one-stop centre where Information on markets, prices, advisory services and institutions with trade support information/services can be accessed through data bases available, internet surfing, electronic discussions and exchange among different organisations/institutions.

CEEWA-Uganda through consultative meetings identifies the information needs of women entrepreneurs and encourages them to take advantage of the developments in ICTs in order to broaden their opportunities in enterprise. Information is also collected from women organisation and trade support institutions, other print and electronic sources such as newspapers, the Internet, catalogues, published research papers, newsletters, etc. This information is repackaged in simple and ready to use formats, preferably in local language for access to women through the databases available at the Kampala site.

Women entrepreneurs in the 3 project sites i.e. Kampala, Buwama and Nabweru, have been trained in business skills and entrepreneurship development ICT usage and application in business. The training and sensitisation in ICTs (computer-email, internet word-processing, spreadsheets e.t.c.) use and applications is on ongoing at the 3 sites.

A website to draw content from the project database, internet searches and list serve discussions aimed at participating women entrepreneurs and women organisations that promote enterprise development is being designed. It will promote exchange of information among women entrepreneurs, women organisations and trade support institutions that are participating in the project. The web site will also support ICT development related work and entrepreneurship development.

CEEWA-U is taking the challenge of closing the gap of those who know and have access to information and those who don't know where majority of women belong and are number one beneficiaries.