Source: PIB
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched e-SafeHER, a massive cybersecurity training initiative designed to empower one million women across rural India.
About The e-SafeHER Programme:
What it is?
- e-SafeHER is a specialized Cyber Security Awareness Training Programme tailored for rural women. It is anchored under MeitY’s larger Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) framework and operates on a peer-led, community-based model to bridge the gap between digital access and digital security.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Aim:
- To enable one million women across rural India to participate safely in the digital ecosystem over the next three years (by 2029).
- To strengthen last-mile cybersecurity awareness for women engaged in digital financial transactions and online livelihoods.
- To create a gender-responsive and sustainable model for cyber-safe digital inclusion.
Key Features:
- The Cyber Sakhi Model: The programme trains women to become Cyber Sakhis (cyber friends) who then act as peer educators within their local communities.
- Multilingual Localization: C-DAC leads the development of localized, audio-visual modules and training materials adapted into multiple Indian languages to ensure accessibility.
- Leveraging SHGs: The initiative specifically works through women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to reach the remotest rural regions without requiring new infrastructure.
- Phased Implementation: The programme begins in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha before scaling nationally.
- Blended Learning: Combines structured technical training with community-based interventions and audio-visual modules to drive measurable behavioral changes.
- Evidence-Based Scaling: Insights from the initial implementation will be used for policy integration and replication with other partners across the country.
Significance:
- It ensures that women are not just online but are securely online, protecting them from rising cyber risks like financial fraud and identity theft.
- By building confidence in digital transactions, the programme enables women to utilize the power of digital platforms for their livelihoods and micro-enterprises.
- It contributes to the vision of a Cyber Secure Bharat by extending the national cybersecurity framework to the grassroots level.
