Exploring the Lived Experiences of _Women in Rural Domestic Roles_in Community-Based Digital Literacy Programs

Abstract

Digital literacy has emerged as a key component of inclusive education and community development, especially in underserved rural settings. While various programs have aimed to improve digital access, limited attention has been paid to how women—particularly rural women homemakers—subjectively experience these initiatives. The emotional, social, and cultural meanings embedded in their learning journeys remain underexplored, raising the question: how do rural housewives experience and make sense of community-based digital literacy programs? This study uses an interpretative phenomenological approach to investigate the lived experiences of ten women homemakers residing in a remote agricultural village in Central Java, Indonesia, who were participating in a structured digital literacy program. Participants were aged between 30 and 50, mostly with primary or secondary education, and not previously engaged in formal digital learning. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The interviews were conducted in participants’ homes and local community centers over a six-week period. The analysis revealed three central themes: initial fear and technological anxiety, digital learning as a source of personal empowerment, and cultural negotiation in adapting to digital practices. These findings illuminate how digital literacy is experienced not as a mere technical skill but as a transformative process that reshapes participants' identities and social roles. The study enhances our understanding of digital inclusion by highlighting the affective and cultural dimensions of learning, often overlooked by outcome-driven models. These insights have implications for the design of future literacy programs, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive and psychologically supportive approaches.