The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP
Minister for Social Services
Minister for National Disability Insurance Scheme
Member for Kingston
The Hon Julian Hill MP
Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
Member for Bruce
The Albanese Labor Government is continuing its investment in the Digital Sisters program to support migrant and refugee women across the country to grow their digital literacy.
Delivered by Good Things Foundation Australia, the Digital Sisters program supports vulnerable migrant and refugee women to build new digital skills, become confident using online services, support their children's engagement with the online world and participate in the community.
$700,000 in funding will see the continuation of the program in 2025-26 and support 2,200 migrant and refugee women through 55 community organisations across Australia.
It brings the Government's total investment in the Digital Sisters program to $2.1 million since its commencement in 2023.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said digital literacy skills are crucial to being able to fully participate in Australian society in 2025.
"Our society is increasingly reliant on digital and online services, and yet a quarter of all Australians experience digital exclusion, and that number is much higher for migrant and refugee women."
"Continuing this program is critical to reduce the digital divide that significantly impacts migrant and refugee women in Australia, affecting their ability to use online services and connect with their community," Minister Rishworth said.
Funded through the SARC program, Since the program began in 2023, Digital Sisters has trained 150 bilingual digital mentors and delivered digital literacy support to over 2,000 migrant and refugee women.
"This program is changing lives across the country, helping migrant and refugee women to thrive in our modern digital world," Minister Rishworth said.
Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill said many newly arrived Australians face barriers to participating in society, and accessing essential public services and information, due to a lack of digital literacy.
"Australia is an increasingly digital society. Yet many new arrivals have little knowledge of how to navigate essential services online and in language they can understand.
"While many government websites are now available in many different languages, some new arrivals may have difficulty locating information, or understanding which websites are legitimate or not.
"Digital Sisters empowers refugee and migrant women by providing them with the skills they need to fully participate in Australian society, ensuring nobody is left behind."
A full list of participating community organisations is available on the Good Things Australia website.
