Since its launch in July 2023, Good Things’ Digital Sisters program has supported over 5,000 refugee and migrant women across 55 communities in Australia to gain essential digital skills and confidence.
For many new arrivals, navigating the digital landscape can be a daunting experience, but this program has proven to be a vital step toward everyday independence and social connection. “This program is a lifeline for new arrivals. It makes everyday tasks like banking and communication much easier. I now know how to fill out digital forms correctly and upload documents. This is a big achievement for me”, mentioned one of the program participants.
The impact data of this program speaks volumes about the program’s success. Based on the digital skill checker from approximately 1,150 program participants, the initiative has achieved remarkable outcomes:
The Digital Sisters program supports women with the practical digital skills needed to navigate daily life. Partner organisations commented that participants significantly improved their ability to use smartphones and computers, becoming far more confident in navigating platforms for job searching, accessing emails, and using translation apps.
Women have also gained the independence to access online services such as Centrelink, MyGov, Medicare, and local council platforms, with some others mentioning how much these new skills have helped them with their kids’ school applications and placements.
A Digital Sisters program participant mentioned that “I can now book medical appointments online and have tele-consults, as well as search for volunteering opportunities online”. Another participant also mentioned, “I was fortunate to have this training as I was feeling so lonely as a new migrant in this country, and this platform not only provided [me] with great networking and mentors but also much needed skills.”
Beyond practical skills, the program has been deeply impactful in reducing social isolation. Several participants have used their new skills to join social media platforms, allowing them to reconnect with family overseas and bridge the geographic gap between loved ones.
The sense of community built within the classrooms is just as important. A participant highlighted the joy of shared learning: “I enjoyed meeting other women and learning together. Thanks for teaching me how to be independent and feel connected.”
For older women, the program has been particularly transformative in breaking down technological barriers. “I feel empowered to learn about digital skills at my age, the training is educative”, shared a participant who previously found depending on others for computer help very challenging. “I never thought that one day I would have this opportunity to learn and develop digital skills”, another learner mentioned.
With participants mentioning that they are “waiting for more programs like this,” it’s clear that Digital Sisters is doing far more than just teaching technology. It is building a supportive environment where women can build new connections, believe in their potential, and gain lasting confidence in the digital world.
To learn more about the impact of the Digital Sisters program through the voices of its participants and the organisations delivering this program.
The Digital Sisters program is important to my community because we are from immigrant background.
Back there, we don’t have computers and we were in war running around in the bush. When we came here, everything was new. My community, some, they have no idea about digital literacy.
So now everything is changing. So they’re really eager to learn.
This is a program where we help women to overcome their struggles, for example, they don’t know how to use email when it comes to like school work or work stuff, and now that we teach them how to use those skills, now they can do it by themselves.
These days everything is on the computer and online. Whatever you have to do it is online.
So it’s an opportunity for me to go and learn about it.
You can have a smartphone, but you’re not going to get an opportunity to know what is inside there until you go for classes for AI and then after that you will know what to use in it.
The class was filled with excitement and also nervousness.
Mostly, we teach them how to use Google Translate. In Google Translate, you can write your language and they can translate to English as well.
We teach them how to set up emails. We also teach them how to use social media in a safe way.
Women in my community, they are using AI. They are using Siri to ask about the weather. They are now able to use the emails, chatbox or Google Translator.
They also use AI. To help the kids with their homework.
One lady just screamed loudly. I did it. I did it. I sent my first email.
I feel more safer and I feel comfortable with it. They are learning a lot from this program. And this is what is needed in the workforce.
I really feel really grateful when women come up and say, oh, thank you for teaching this class and I really learned something, and that makes me feel confident for myself and. Confident room for them as well.
This program has helped people to have confidence in themselves. People feel more independent.
I want this program to continue because it’s helping a lot of people. It’s not only me. I can go out there and tell people about it because it’s really, really helping.
