In 2024, the Victorian Women’s Trust hosted two groundbreaking Rural Women Online Intensives, bringing hands-on digital skills workshops to women in Greater Shepparton and North East Victoria. The goal was clear: to equip women with practical digital tools and foster a sense of community through learning. Thanks to support from Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and Bendigo Bank, these events weren’t just about tech skills; they were about empowerment, connection, and creating a space for women to support each other. With sessions led by local experts, keynote speakers, and a digital help desk offering one-on-one support, participants were able to gain confidence in navigating the digital world.

Highlights from Shepparton and Yackandandah Intensives

Photo: Digital Drop In area at the Rural Woman Online Digital Intensive in Shepparton, Victoria. Captured by Allie James Photography.

Shepparton: Bridging the Digital Divide

From August 5–9 2024, the Shepparton Intensive focused on breaking through the digital divide for women in rural Victoria. Hosted at the McIntosh Centre, the week-long series of events offered workshops, drop-in sessions for one-on-one tech support, and presentations by leading experts. The Shepparton Intensive was broad in scope, covering everything from combating online scams to navigating telehealth appointments, as well as a series of multicultural eSafety sessions with local translators representing Shepparton’s culturally diverse community.

Keynote speaker Prof Julian Thomas, a Distinguished Professor at RMIT University, delivered an inspiring talk on the societal impacts of digital communication, underscoring the importance of digital literacy. His work has been instrumental in making technology more accessible to communities often left behind, such as rural women. He emphasises, “Digital inclusion really means that those services and platforms that we rely on need to be designed to benefit not just the seven or the eight or the nine Australians who are connected, but all 10 of them, all of them, no matter where they are. It’s about ensuring that everyone can make full use of digital technologies and the benefits they bring.”

North East Victoria: A Focus on Business Skills, Disaster Preparedness and eSafety 

Held from September 11–15, 2024, in the beautiful town of Yackandandah, the second Rural Women Online Intensive centred on empowering women in business. Local business owners, producers, and entrepreneurs gathered for workshops on DIY marketing, photography, and branding. A standout session was led by Bree Nightingale, Program Manager at Startup Shakeup & Click Region, who shared her digital marketing and photography expertise. Bree’s hands-on workshop, “Photography: How to Nail the Perfect Shot,” helped women improve their marketing strategies by capturing high-quality images of their products.

Bree noted, “In North East Victoria, we have found 60% of women in small businesses lack confidence in using digital tools. It’s vital for regional women to utilise these helpful resources to grow their digital knowledge.”

Melissa Antony, another expert in digital marketing, delivered sessions on using Canva for branding and how to market farmgate products. Her workshops resonated with women balancing small business responsibilities, showing them how to maximize their online presence without overwhelming their workload.

Disaster Preparedness and recovery was also a strong theme throughout the North East Intensive with workshops on key tech supports in the face of natural disasters and support to digitise personal records in case of an emergency. To cap off the week of events, Anna Krien, journalist and author, delivered a targeted keynote address at the Yackandandah Public Hall, which will be released in November 2024.

Empowerment Through Connection

Photo from left: Lisa Lorenz (Tangambalanga Police) and Shelly (Bendigo Bank) presenting a workshop on eSafety and online banking at the Yackandandah Digital Intensive, as captured by Jason Robins Photography.

For many participants, these Intensives were not just about gaining new skills but also about the connections they built. As Jessica Dugdale-Walker (Project Officer, Rural Women Online), a key player in organising both events, shared, “Being involved in the Rural Women Online events showed me how special it is when women connect with each other over learning. I truly believe that creating an environment where this is possible ensures that women feel empowered to tackle any digital issues once they leave the event.”

This sentiment was echoed by Bim Rutherford (Greater Shepparton Community Liaison Engagement Officer, Rural Women Online), who emphasised the importance of community engagement in designing the program: “Our grassroots work in the community led to the successful delivery of Rural Women Online in Greater Shepparton, fostering wonderful connections and partnerships, individual growth, and a positive ripple effect throughout the community.”

The rural women who attended these Intensives weren’t just passive learners — they were active participants in shaping the events. As the North East Victoria Community Liaison Engagement Officer, Leanne Mulcahy, pointed out, “Observing participants return for multiple sessions and seeing their growth and learning was truly inspiring.” This ongoing engagement demonstrates the impact these programs had on the women involved, as they returned to deepen their understanding and support each other in their digital journeys.

Key Learnings and Popular Sessions

A few sessions stood out as crowd favourites. In Shepparton, the drop-in tech support desk was particularly popular, with women of all ages bringing their phones, tablets, and laptops to get expert advice on the spot. Many participants expressed how empowered they felt after overcoming digital hurdles they previously thought insurmountable.

The Women in Business workshops in Yackandandah were also a hit, especially for women looking to promote their products and services online. Hands-on sessions with practical takeaways, like how to capture the perfect product shot or market farmgate goods, left participants feeling more confident and capable in managing their businesses digitally.

Building a Supportive Digital Community

Photo: Victorian Women’s Trust Executive Director Mary Crooks AO, speaking at the Rural Woman Online Yackandandah Digital Intensive, captured by Jason Robins Photography.

The Intensives also sparked creativity and community building. Women shared ideas, collaborated on projects, and forged lasting friendships. The sense of belonging was palpable in both Yackandandah and Shepparton. These events weren’t just about digital literacy — they were about supporting women to feel confident in a world where technology can feel intimidating.

One of the biggest takeaways was how the intensives addressed the specific challenges rural women face in accessing digital tools. As Mary Crooks AO, Executive Director of the Victorian Women’s Trust, highlighted, “Many rural women are hindered by issues such as a lack of reliable internet and fear of judgment over their perceived lack of tech skills. The Rural Women Online program worked to dismantle these barriers by creating a safe, non-judgmental environment for learning.”

What’s Next?

Looking ahead to 2025, the Victorian Women’s Trust will now close off this innovative  project initiative by making sure that the RWO website carries as much supportive and learning material as possible, including webinars, so that rural and regional women can continue further opportunities for learning and connection. 

The Rural Women Online Digital Intensives in Greater Shepparton and North East Victoria was made possible thanks to support from Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and Bendigo Bank. Both keynotes were proudly supported by NBN Local. Thank you to everyone who supported this pioneering initiative.