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After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Swift Jyoti for Women - India

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In an initiative intended to reach Indian women, the global IT corporation National Information Infrastructure Testbed (NIIT) launched a programme to bridge the information and communication technologies (ICT) gender divide. The purpose of Swift Jyoti for Women, a ten-hour course with follow-up support, is to help women play a more significant role in the emerging digital economy.
Communication Strategies
The course includes exercises that will help participants find various women-oriented websites, where they can access tips on entrepreneurship, financing, and parenting. These exercises were designed to account for women's tendency to learn best when interacting with their contemporaries.

For three months following the course, participants will receive a password that will enable them to receive support on NIIT's portal, NetVarsity. Their queries will answered within two hours of requesting information or assistance about computer or internet use. In addition, 22 hours of advanced content on various IT topics will be available on Net Varsity. Finally, "Ask Kusum", a forum dedicated to women, will be accessible in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and English.

NIIT is also making available IT training to women and girls who work and learn in government-run schools. One female principal, three teachers, and six girls from 2,000 schools will receive Swift Jyoti materials free of charge.
Development Issues
Women, Technology, Children.
Key Points
NIIT launched the Swift Jyoti programme on World Computer Literacy Day, December 2, 2002. Over 104,000 people participated in this mass IT literacy initiative. Seven out of ten people who participated in that event were men. Swift Jyoti for Women was organised in response to this fact, which is indicative of a larger trend: Indian women lag behind men when it comes to computer awareness and proficiency. This programme is part of a series of initiatives that began on International Women's Day, March 8, 2002.
Sources

Letter sent from Shazia Haris to the Bytes-for-All Readers list server on June 7, 2002; and Swift Jyoti for Women page on NIIT site.