Empowering Women with AI: Grow Digital Launches in Leicester with Shama Women’s Centre

A new partnership between Grow and Shama Women’s Centre is already making an impact in Leicester, helping women build digital confidence and explore how AI tools like ChatGPT can support their journeys into work, learning, and everyday life.

Since our launch event in early October with Grow Director Liz Sewell as host the Grow Digital workshops have been delivered twice-monthly at Shama, offering tailored support to both service users, staff, and volunteers. The workshops are designed to demystify artificial intelligence, showing women how it can help with job search activities such as writing CVs and cover letters, as well as more practical everyday tasks like finding recipes, drafting letters, or generating creative ideas.

Salma, who runs the Job Club at Shama, sees the value of this work first-hand. “Many of our women are just beginning to explore what digital tools can do. The AI sessions help them realise how useful and accessible these tools can be, not just for work but for their everyday lives.”

With each workshop, Grow’s Kaneez provides hands-on guidance, often translating key instructions into participants’ native languages to ensure full understanding. This inclusive approach is crucial, as many attendees face barriers related to IT skills or limited English.

“Having Kaneez there to translate has made a big difference,” says Salma. “It means no one is left behind. Some of the women were amazed when they saw ChatGPT respond in their own language. That moment of realisation was powerful; suddenly AI didn’t seem so out of reach and its uses became immediately clear.”

A tailored session is also delivered for Shama staff and volunteers. “We had one volunteer say she could now use ChatGPT to help with her AQA forms and other admin tasks,” Salma recalls. “Even I’ve started using it to draft documents more efficiently. It’s changed the way we think about everyday digital tools.”

So far, attendance has been strong, with 25+ women joining the October sessions alone. But Salma notes that this e need to adapt the format over time. “These sessions offer a fantastic introduction to AI and it is clear that its tremendously useful. We look forward to further developing the course to deliver more practical insights that will help build a deeper understanding of its potential, and we’re exploring different ways of running the sessions to build on what our participants have learned with follow-up workshops.”

Beyond digital skills, the programme is also strengthening community partnerships. Grow and Shama have been working together since 2022, supporting women across Leicester to build confidence, gain qualifications, and take steps into employment. Grow Digital is the latest strand in that work, opening up new opportunities and making cutting-edge tools accessible to all.

As Salma puts it: “The more familiar our women become with AI, the more they can take control of their futures. It’s not just about jobs, it’s about confidence, curiosity, and empowerment.”