Cyberela is a project designed primarily to help women become more involved in using new communications technologies—an important contribution to curbing discrimination against women, one which leads to the equality of men and women, and thus towards the development of a more just society.

Since 1990 the women’s organization CEMINA (Communication, Education and Information on Gender) uses radio as a medium for educating women and strengthening their position. Through training programs and radio productions, CEMINA has been able to extend its activities across Brazil and now has a network of over 400 women who are working at regional radio stations. In 1998, CEMINA began helping these women at regional radio stations to integrate new information and communications technologies into their work.

With the support of INFODEV, a global grant program managed by the World Bank, a web radio project, www.radiofalamuher.com, came into being. In January 2002, CEMINA begin training women to use new information and communications technologies. By August of the same year, the web radio project could be officially inaugurated; its program included news, interviews, discussions, music, spots, radio plays and special features for women.

Next, a competition was held for the members of the Women’s Radio Network; its goal was to find women who had the potential to run and design a web radio program. Once chosen, the women were equipped with a computer, on which audio editing software had been installed, and with a broadband Internet connection. They also received technical assistance for six months. All these measures helped the women produce quality radio programs, achieve an exchange of radio content via the Internet, as well as set up a new network: theCyberela Network. Half of the selected 26 women launched their own radio telecenters which they now run themselves. This year another three radio telecenters will be opened by competition participants.

Cyberela puts its energies into training women to use ICT, on the one hand, and into establishing and maintaining the radio telecenters, on the other hand. Due to their extreme remoteness from Brazil’s urban centers, access to technology, as well as maintenance and replacement of equipment are difficult. Only very few women and youths in rural communities can attend school; 30 percent of the women are considered functional illiterates. Due to a lack of opportunities and incentives, there are also very few jobs. In this respect, the quality of radio programs is also extremely important, as it gives all those a chance who in the short- or long-term would otherwise not have the opportunity to learn how to use digital tools.

Another important aspect of Cyberela is training women for projects with which they can earn money and thus achieve independence and selfemployment. In 2000 the number of selfemployed women in Brazil was 29 percent. By 2003 this number had risen to 46 percent. In north-eastern Brazil, the poorest region in the country, women work at many different crafts. Here, digital tools could create jobs and generate incomes. This is why the project is specifically for women, since they are—as all developmental indicators show—most affected by the consequences of poverty and discrimination. Moreover, women still have to struggle with the historical bias of not being trained for working with machines.