Upper Egypt is one of Egypt’s most under-resourced and underdeveloped regions, which puts a great strain on its citizens and exacerbates a number of existing social issues. One such example is the neglect young orphan women face there, a particularly marginalized community not only subject to sustained gender inequality but often deemed illegitimate in the eyes of Egyptian society as well other countries across the region. Many of these women are unable to access educational opportunities, which in turn decreases their ability to become agents of change. What is more, degrading stereotypes that paint Upper Egyptians as backwards and brainless unfortunately still prevail across the country. Benat Seshat is a social initiative that intends to alleviate these intersecting forms of oppression by strengthening digital literacy and computer learning skills of a group of young women between the ages of 14 and 30 in an Upper Egyptian orphanage. In doing so, the broader aim of the project is to pave the way towards higher education, self-realization and societal integration beyond the confines of the orphanage. By providing the necessary technological resources as well as critical thinking skills, the students will ideally…
Benat Seshat: a Digital Literacy Initiative Empowering Young Orphan Women in Upper Egypt
July 17, 2019
