Power Up: Women Shaping their Future with Technology

This initiative seeks to use innovative and accessible technology to empower citizens particularly women and marginalized groups in the province of Nusa Tenggara Barat to engage in democratic decision making processes improve their ability to access and understand information and increase their ability to demand improved government accountability. The initiative’s innovative technology applications and platforms are developed through Voto Mobile. Project activities include: (1) developing a mobile phone and web based communication platform that will be both a source of information for stakeholders as well as a channel for the collection analysis and sharing of data on citizen demands; (2) providing training to citizens and local government officials to increase their competencies with information technology applications and web platforms as well as good governance transparency gender equality and budgeting processes; and (3) assisting village offices and district health staff to engage with citizens on village development and health issues and as administrators of the web platform. The project applies its various strengthening strategies in the area of health specifically in order to address the issue of high-risk pregnancies.

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) enhanced equitable and inclusive participation in village-based democratic decision-making processes especially by women and marginalized groups through the use of technology; (2) increased use of technology by people especially women and marginalized groups to hold their governments to account; (3) increased responsiveness of public institutions to the diverse needs and rights of people especially women and marginalized groups through the use of technology.