Why in News?
The e-SafeHER initiative is in the news because the Reliance Foundation, in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), officially launched the program on April 13, 2026.
About
- Target Goal: The initiative aims to empower one million women (referred to as "Cyber Sakhis") in rural India over the next three years (by 2029).
- National Campaign: It is part of the government’s broader "Information Security Education and Awareness" (ISEA) program to build a "Cyber Secure Bharat."
- Digital Inclusion: The news highlights the urgent need for cybersecurity training as rural women are adopting digital payments and online services faster than ever.
Collaboration & Partners
- MeitY: Provides the national framework and policy support.
- C-DAC Hyderabad: Leads the development and localisation of technical training content in multiple languages.
- Reliance Foundation: Acts as the delivery partner, leveraging its grassroots network to reach remote rural communities.
The "Cyber Sakhi" Model
- Peer-Led Training: Uses a community-based model where women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are trained to teach others.
- Phased Rollout: The pilot phases are currently beginning in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
Training Focus Areas
- Safe Transactions: Educating women on secure digital financial transactions and avoiding online fraud.
- Risk Awareness: Building skills to identify phishing, malicious links, and data misuse.
- Digital Engagement: Increasing confidence for women using digital platforms for livelihoods and essential services.
Strategic Objectives
- Gender-Responsive Inclusion: Creating a "woman-centric safety net" in the digital world.
- Behavioural Change: Aiming for measurable outcomes like the adoption of safe digital practices.
- Evidence-Based Scale: Insights from the initial phases will be used to integrate the model into national policy.
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