‘Connected Women’ Project to Reach 15,000 Women in Earthquake-Affected Regions

In the new phase of the Connected Women Project, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of National Education’s General Directorate of Lifelong Learning and the Vodafone Foundation, 11 digital classrooms will be established across 11 provinces in earthquake-affected regions, aiming to reach a total of 15,000 women. Over the past four years, the project has trained approximately 35,000 women, generating over 43 million TL in social value.

The Connected Women Project, which was launched to contribute to the digitalization of society, support women’s development, and enhance their participation in the labor force, has recently entered a new phase. Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of National Education’s General Directorate of Lifelong Learning and the Vodafone Foundation, the project has delivered Digital Literacy and Digital Marketing training to approximately 35,000 women trainees through more than 300 trainers in 155 public education centers across 21 provinces. Following their training and graduation, 86 women trainees were employed at Vodafone Turkey Customer Services, while 9 women trainees who placed first in the Digital Marketing Campaign Competitions held within the project were provided with 80,000 TL in startup capital. In this new phase, which has already generated over 43 million TL in social value through these training initiatives, 11 digital classrooms will be established across 11 provinces in the earthquake-affected region. The goal is to reach an additional 15,000 women in these provinces.

The new goals for the Connected Women Project were shared at a meeting held at the Adıyaman Public Education Center. The event, attended by Cengiz Mete, Director General of Lifelong Learning at the Ministry of National Education, and Hasan Süel, the Chair of Vodafone Turkey Foundation, included the simultaneous opening of digital classrooms across 11 provinces.

Cengiz Mete, General Director of Lifelong Learning at the Ministry of National Education, said:

“As the General Directorate of Lifelong Learning of the Ministry of National Education, we operate with the philosophy of ‘Education for everyone, anytime, anywhere, to prepare happy individuals for life.’ With 3,740 non-formal education programs offered in 1,000 public education centers and 32 maturation institutes across Turkey, we provide courses in general, vocational, and technical fields for individuals both within and outside the formal education system, along with other lifelong learning activities. We collaborate on various projects with our stakeholders to support the professional, social, and cultural development of our trainees. The Connected Women Project, which we have implemented in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation, is a successful example of public-private cooperation, bringing the power of the digital world to women’s potential. We are pleased that tens of thousands of women trained through this project have enhanced their awareness, knowledge, and skills in the digital field. The digital classrooms we inaugurated today will greatly contribute to equipping even more individuals with digital competencies.”

Hasan Süel, the Chair of Vodafone Turkey Foundation, stated:

“As a purpose-driven company, we work to ensure that the digital future includes all segments of society. Connected Women is a project we implemented with the Directorate General of Lifelong Learning with this vision in mind. Our primary goal is to introduce women to the digital world, provide them with digital literacy skills, empower them in social life, and connect them with potential digital job opportunities. To date, we have provided Digital Literacy and Digital Marketing training to nearly 35,000 women across 21 provinces through this project. We regularly measure the project’s impact, which shows that it not only enhances women’s digital knowledge and skills but also plays a significant role in increasing their self-confidence and motivation, raising awareness of the importance of the digital world, and fostering supportive relationships. Last period, we observed that every 1 TRY invested in the project generated over 14 TRY in social value. All data indicate that the project is achieving highly impactful outcomes aligned with its objectives. As Vodafone Foundation, we remain committed to standing by women.”

Aiming to reach 15,000 women across 11 provinces

The Connected Women Project, which has already set up training containers in three provinces within the earthquake region, will be implemented in 11 earthquake-affected provinces during this new phase: Adıyaman, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adana, Diyarbakır, Elâzığ, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Şanlıurfa. The project aims to reach 15,000 women in the region through training in Digital Literacy, Digital Marketing, and Introduction to the Digital World. These initiatives will support women’s economic participation and employment in the region. The new phase will also feature two competitions, the Accessibility Contest and the Digital Marketing Campaign Contest. Additionally, the 11 newly opened digital classrooms will support trainees in gaining skills and competencies in information technology and digital fields.

Comprehensive digital education for women

The Connected Women Project aims to unlock women’s potential in digitalization through various training programs. As part of the project, female trainees receive 30 hours of Digital Literacy and 44 hours of Digital Marketing training. Some of this training is delivered in person at public education centers affiliated with the Ministry of National Education, while some is offered online through the Ministry’s Directorate General of Lifelong Learning Distance Education Platform. To further support women in earthquake-affected regions, training containers have been set up in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, and Adıyaman.