While lunches may never be free, Democratic and progressive women in Iowa do have an opportunity to grab some free technology training in the coming weeks.

Essentialestrogen.com is working with DAWN (Democratic Activist Women's Network) to provide three seminars in three different regions of Iowa starting this Saturday, Nov. 7. Here are the dates, times and locations of the upcoming events:

            Saturday, Nov. 7 – Sioux City
            10 a.m. to Noon
            Mary Treglia Community House, 900 Jennings St.

            Saturday, Nov. 14 – Des Moines
            1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
            AFSCME, 4320 NW 2nd St.

            Saturday, Nov. 21 – Cedar Falls
            10 a.m. to Noon
            Cedar Falls Public Library, 524 Main St.

Here's what will happen at the seminars: 

The seminars will focus on how progressive women can promote Democratic messages online. We'll talk about ways to protect personal information, how to start a blog or a Web site, and strategies for making sure your viewpoint is heard, through social networking and other online interactions. In short, we are training progressive women how to overcome their fears and challenges, to become more effective on the Internet.

Seminar content is suitable for all women, regardless of level of activism. Let's discuss the ways we can protect candidates from undue Internet ugliness, how we can attract younger women with first-hand knowledge of all things tech, candidate committees, and the best practices for speaking loudly and with purpose, when it comes to Democratic ideals.