Facebook to provide digital literacy training to 1 lakh women in seven Indian states

Facebook on Tuesday launched its 'We Think Digital' programme, under which the social media giant will provide digital literacy training to 1 lakh women across seven states, including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar.

"In partnership with National Commission for Women (NCW) and Cyber Peace Foundation, the program aims to provide digital literacy training to one lakh women across seven states through the year," a statement said.

The programme will start with the state of Uttar Pradesh and expand to other states including Assam, West Bengal Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Bihar, it added.

We Think Digital, Facebook's global digital literacy programme, was announced in 2019 during the second edition of its South Asia Safety Summit.

The training program has been designed with a focus on digital literacy and citizenship, addressing issues around privacy, safety, and misinformation.

"We believe that women should have equal access to economic opportunities, education and social connection that the internet provides. Working closely with experts from across different walks of life, we are constantly innovating and designing activities that will enable digital learning and change in the community," Facebook India Director of Public Policy Ankhi Das said.

As part of the program, the company will partner with agencies from both government and civil society to design learning modules to equip people with skills, including the ability to think critically about what they see online, report harmful content and how to communicate respectfully, the statement said.