The empowerment of Haitian peasant women is a prerequisite for breaking the chains of social injustice, sexism, physical and psychological violence, illiteracy and poverty. Haitian peasant women are at the heart of family, cultural, health and social balances. They play a central role in health, development and education. In order for women to become self-reliant, access to education, training and work, women's participation in political and economic decisions to equality with men remain indispensable. To reach the empowerment of rural women across Haiti, especially those who live in the communities where we work, AFPA has made its own the 7 successes for women empowerment through information and communication technologies or ICTs. The digital revolution offers many opportunities for those who can use new technologies, but also presents new challenges for those left behind. With ICTs, we can systematically enhance rural women's empowerment like never before. Here are the 7 Success Factors for Empowering Rural Women Through Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)

1. Adapt content so that it is meaningful for them.
While ICTs can deliver large amounts of information, this does not imply effective use of it. Adaptation of content to local needs, languages and contexts often remains a challenge. Hence, content should be adapted to local languages and repackaged to suit formats that meet the different information needs.

2. Create a safe environment for them to share and learn.
Illiteracy, and limited skills in using complex devices to search for information and cultural issues, remain barriers to effectively receiving and using information delivered via ICTs. For example, illiterate and older farmers often have less developed digital skills, and are therefore generally less likely to adopt ICTs.

3. Gender sensitivity.
Gender inequalities remain a serious issue in the digital economy, as does the gap between urban and rural populations. Access and opportunities for women, youth, older farmers and people living in the most remote areas is hindered by the price of access to ICTs, and by persistent inequalities. Gender barriers further limit women farmers’ capacity to innovate and become more productive. Gender, youth and diversity should be systematically addressed in the planning phase of project design and during the whole project cycle.

4. Provide them with access and tools for sharing.
Rural women have less access to ICTs – the phones, the laptops, the Wi-Fi – because they are confronted with social norms, because they are living in unconnected areas, and because they are usually poor.. Pricing of broadband or mobile services is a significant barrier for most vulnerable groups, such as women, youth, older farmers and people living in the most remote areas. Digital inclusion policies with gender perspectives should be promoted to enable men and women to access and use ICTs equally.

5. Build partnerships.
Small, local private companies, local producer organizations and community-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often have the social capital to provide trusted information and good quality services. Diverse advisory and extension services offered by different types of providers are more likely to meet the various needs of farmers, as there is no single type of service that can fit all circumstances.

6. Provide the right blend of technologies
Identifying the right mix of technologies that are suited to local needs and contexts is often a challenge, in spite of – or because of – the rapid increase in mobile telephone penetration in rural areas. Blended approaches, such as a combination of radio and telephone, and locally relevant technologies selected on the basis of in-depth analysis of local needs and existing information systems, should be adopted to increase the efficiency of initiatives for ICT in agriculture, and better serve different users and contexts.

7. Ensure sustainability.
It is critical that ICT initiatives target both women and men, as well as the larger family unit and the community to ensure long-term sustainability. An inclusive approach to ICT initiatives will help to generate widespread recognition that it is important for women to be able to use ICTs.
ICTs offer valuable opportunities for agricultural and rural development, increasing sustainable output, farm and agribusiness efficiency and revenues for a wide range of players.  Access of women to information and education can also increase acceptance for sending both daughters and sons to school, which will have a greater impact, and increase the chances of reducing poverty and achieving a rural Haiti without hunger.