The digital world is changing how young people learn, communicate and participate in society. Yet young women often face additional challenges online, including misinformation, harassment, privacy risks and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).

For young women in Kaduna State, where digital spaces are increasingly important for communication, advocacy and civic participation, having the skills to navigate these spaces safely and confidently matters.

Women at the Front of the Digital Space Fellowship, organised by Smart Aid Initiative with support from DDISA, is designed to help change this reality.

The fellowship brings together 20 young women aged 18–30 from Kaduna State for six weeks of virtual learning, practical activities, peer engagement and a two-day in-person bootcamp. Participants will develop skills in and improve their knowledge in digital democracy and civic participation, online safety and digital rights, TFGBV, misinformation and fact-checking, and digital advocacy and storytelling.

The goal is simple, We want to help young women move from being digital users to becoming informed, confident and responsible digital leaders.

But the impact is designed to go beyond the 20 fellows. Each participant will share what she learns through a step-down session, reaching at least 20 additional young people. This creates a ripple effect, spreading knowledge about digital safety, misinformation, rights and civic participation throughout their communities.

A Toolkit Designed for Real-Life Use

A key outcome of the fellowship will be a practical digital empowerment toolkit.

Its strength is localisation. It brings together digital safety, TFGBV, misinformation, civic participation and advocacy in one resource designed around the realities young women face in Kaduna and similar communities.

The toolkit will be available in different formats, including a website resource, downloadable PDF, illustrated materials and printable learning cards, making it useful for young women, educators, youth groups and community organisations.

The fellows will also help test and shape the toolkit, ensuring that it reflects real experiences and practical needs.

Ultimately, Women at the Front of the Digital Space is about more than training. It is about giving young women the knowledge, confidence and tools to participate safely, speak up, advocate for change and help others do the same.

It starts with 20 young women but the ripple can reach far beyond them.