UN Women commissioned the African Girls’ Code Initiative (AGCCI), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The AUC, through the AU Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development (HHSD), the Directorate of Women, Gender and Youth (WGYD), and the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) provide technical support to this initiative. The aim is to train and empower a minimum of 2000 girls aged 17 to 25 across Africa to become computer programmers, creators, and designers, putting them on the right track to undertake studies and pursue careers in information, communication, and technology (ICT) sectors.
The initiative has two key strategies, namely: coding camps and the integration of ICT, coding, and gender into national curricula. The first phase funded by the Government of Denmark was carried out between April 2018 and December 2019 and yielded good results. A second phase was launched in April 2022 by UN Women and its partners (AUC, ITU, ECA, UNESCO) with financial support from the Government of Belgium to ensure African girls benefit and contribute to the technological revolution in their countries and the continent.
UN Women Tanzania is launching a call for applications to qualified girls to participate in the first coding camp to be held in Zanzibar – State University of Zanzibar (SUZA). The coding camps are coordinated in close collaboration with the United Republic of Tanzania (Mainland and Zanzibar) through the following:
• Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups
• Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology
• Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology
Closing the digital gender gap requires a seismic approach to skills-building and empowerment. Initiatives focusing on increasing participation in the digital economy and supporting the development of relevant content, applications, and services by and for women should be a priority. There is a need for a strong generational gender perspective on the digital divide if we are to achieve meaningful and lasting change for a digital revolution by and with girls in line with African Union’s Agenda 2063, the upcoming million-pound initiative, the AU Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and the Global Agenda 2030 (SDGs).
Location:
AfricaBenefits
The Tanzania team responsible for implementing the African Girls Can CODE initiative will provide the participants selected following a selection process with the following:
1. A 10-day training on coding as per the AGCCI manual.
2. Training materials.
3. Stationery.
4. Transport fee within Zanzibar.
5. Laptops for use for the duration of and after the training.
Eligibilities
To qualify for the coding camps, applicants should:
• Be of Tanzania Nationality, female, and between the ages of 17-25 yrs.
• Have an interest in science, technology, mathematics, ICT, and related subjects.
• Know how to use a computer and have basic knowledge of Computer Science.
Eligible Regions: Tanzania
Application Process
• All applications must be submitted through email with the subject line REF: CFA No. UNW-ESATZA-2023- 001 on African Girls Can Code Initiatives Phase 2 Coding Camp.
• Only those short-listed will be contacted for further screening and consideration.
• Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
Application Deadline: January 26, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
