Enabling Digital Learning and Access in Rural Communities

Before the launch of the Zivo-Ulwazi Feminist Knowledge Hub in September 2023, a woman seeking to know her rights, report gender-based violence, learn about her rights, and acquire ICT literacy skills would struggle to find all this information in one centrally structured and accessible digital format.

Digital access across rural Zimbabwe remains limited. Gender-based violence referral pathway and information, ICT training, and rights awareness are not always within reach. This challenge stems from years of under resourcing in rural infrastructure. Some schools lack computers. Others operate without trained ICT teachers. In several cases, students are unable to sit for ICT exams, even as technology continues to evolve rapidly around the world.

With the support from UN Women through the Global Spotlight Initiative, Rozaria Memorial Trust established the Dura reruZivo Ulwazi Feminist Knowledge Hub in Magaya Village, Murewa. This initiative brought together access to digital tools, gender knowledge, and community support in one shared space. As a result, women and girls are not only gaining digital skills but also building autonomy and resilience by applying what they learn to lead, earn, and support others in their communities.

Chipo, a mother of five, is one of the women witnessing a shift in her craft. In 2021, she received training in making handwoven bags and backpacks, using a single design taught by her instructor. Since the launch of the Hub, she has started using the facility to explore new patterns online, improving her products and paying closer attention to market preferences. “The knowledge I get from the Hub is helping me create better products. I want to grow my business, maybe even sell online one day so that I send all my children to school,” Chipo shared.

When Income Supports Safety and Choice

She currently supplies her bags to Erykah Designs and has participated in local expo markets to sell her work. However, accessing larger markets remains a challenge due to limited connectivity and the high cost of marketing tools, highlighting the ongoing need for support in digital entrepreneurship and market access. Chipo’s experience is not an isolated story. Her story reflects how access to digital tools can support income generation and secure household needs. When women increase their earnings, they are better able to support their families. As a result, school dropout rates decrease, child marriage risks reduce, and household decision-making improves.

While challenges remain, the Feminist Knowledge Hub has become a valuable learning space for students. Children from nearby schools visit regularly to research, complete homework, and strengthen their digital literacy. These visits offer an opportunity to catch up with peers who have better access to ICT in urban centres. Each hour spent learning at the Hub builds a stronger academic foundation and opens new career possibilities for students living in rural communities.

Feminist Learning at the Hub Helps Girls Shape Regional Policy

In September 2024, 17-year-old Tanaka Jani used the Hub’s learning materials to prepare for a regional consultation. The meeting focused on developing the African Union (AU) Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. Organised by the AU Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, in collaboration with Plan International AU Liaison Office, it brought together youth voices from across the continent.

With support from the Hub, Tanaka and others contributed meaningfully to the consultation. Their input helped shape key recommendations that were later adopted at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February 2025. “Before the Hub, I never imagined that someone like me could help shape a law for the whole continent. Now I know my voice matters,” Tanaka said. Her story is one of many that show how access to the right resources allows girls in rural communities to participate in policy influencing spaces.

Linking Community Impact to Sustainable Development Global Goals

By strengthening leadership, digital skills, and rights awareness, the Feminist Knowledge Hub is contributing to meaningful progress toward global development priorities. The Hub advances Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education by offering a space where students, particularly girls, access learning resources, conduct research, and gain digital literacy. In schools where ICT is not available, the Hub has become a vital supplement, enabling learners to complete assignments, explore new ideas, and strengthen their academic confidence.

It also supports Goal 5 on Gender Equality by equipping women and girls with tools to understand their rights, challenge harmful social norms, and take part in decision-making at home, in schools, and at policy level. Through peer learning, safe space discussions, and access to feminist literature, girls have increased confidence to speak in public, report violence, and engage in national and continental processes - including contributing to the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.

Looking ahead, the Hub holds potential to drive progress towards Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth. While women like Chipo now have the skills to improve their products and respond to market demand, partnerships with digital platforms, creative industries, and value chain enablers could unlock further opportunities. With access to new markets, mothers like Chipo could grow sustainable businesses, support their children’s education, and increase their families' long-term economic security.

Expanding the Hub to Meet Community Demand

Since its launch, demand for the Feminist Knowledge Hub has continued to grow. More girls, women, students, and entrepreneurs now visit regularly. The space has become an important part of the community’s daily life. However, this demand has brought new challenges. There is now an urgent need to expand the Hub and ensure more people benefit from its services. A larger facility would accommodate growing numbers and introduce more learning stations, training opportunities, and internet access. This would also create space for leadership development and economic empowerment programmes that respond directly to local needs.

Linking Economic Empowerment to Feminist Knowledge Access

While the Hub continues to focus on addressing gender-based violence, it also recognises that real GBV prevention includes economic justice. One lesson that stands out from the community is this: when women have stable income, they are safer. Tensions at home reduce. Children stay in school. Families are able to plan ahead and make decisions based on hope, not survival.

This is why economic justice matters. Looking ahead, the Hub aims to introduce feminist economic approaches, including training on feminist macroeconomics. These approaches help women understand how broader systems shape inequality. They place value on care work and promote fair access to markets as essential to justice.

With this foundation, the Hub does more than teach skills. It becomes a space where women build confidence in digital entrepreneurship. They learn how to price their products, promote them online, and navigate market systems that often exclude them.

This work supports Sustainable Development Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth. In many rural areas, communities still face limited internet access, few digital tools, and barriers to financial services. Addressing these challenges requires more than short-term training. It means investing in rural infrastructure and long-term support systems that allow women and youth to grow.

The Zivo-Ulwazi Feminist Knowledge Hub is an example of what becomes possible when feminist values and community knowledge and values shape innovation. It shows that Africa can design its own solutions, driven by the realities and strengths of its people. When rural communities are equipped with the right tools, they lead. Their voices are not only part of the future, they are shaping it now.

From First Click to Feminist Power: Empowering Women and Girls Through the Knowledge Hub