© Bernarda Labarca
Training of women in San Pedro de Atacama

On 25-May-2010, Jorge Sequeira, Director of the Regional Bureau of Education for Latin American and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago) will preside over a graduation ceremony for women who participated in the Training Course on Digital Literacy for Ethnic Atacameña Women in northern Chile in the municipality of San Pedro de Atacama. Eight new computers and a new internet laboratory will also be inaugurated at the only secondary school in the municipality, Likan Antai.
According to the Social Protection Registry, San Pedro de Atacama’s population has a total 1551 women, 682 of whom are between 18 and 45 years of age and belong to the Atacaman ethnic group. In order to increase their computer literacy and directly improve their quality of life, OREALC/UNESCO Santiago provided training for 90 women in this age and ethnic group on corporate computer and communications technologies as management tools. Participants will use their new skills to serve local women’s organizations.

Likan Antai is the municipality’s only secondary school and enrolls 150 students annually, most of whom belong to the Atacaman indigenous group. OREALC/UNESCO Santiago has provided the school with 8 computers with internet connectivity in order to permit daily use by students, former students and members of the community.