Digital equality: GIZ promotes women in Africa’s tech industry

The #eSkills4Girls initiative is supporting over 30,000 women. The WeCode programming academy is one of its measures. An interview opportunity for International Women’s Day 2020.

The internet is male: 250 million fewer women than men are online worldwide. Women and girls are at a particular disadvantage in developing countries and emerging economies: up to 93 per cent of them are unfamiliar with basic computer programs or have difficulty finding their way around the internet. This hampers their chances of finding a job and actively shaping the digital world. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is helping promote gender equality.

In an interview, GIZ’s education experts Vanessa Dreier and Lukas Hilgers will be delighted to tell you about the company’s projects that are contributing in this field. The dates and times are listed below.

Since 2017, more than 30,000 women have benefited from #eSkills4Girls – for example, at the annual Africa Code Week or in the context of eight digital projects in eight African countries. These include the WeCode programming academy in Rwanda, where women learn to develop their own apps and other solutions. They learn about the structures and processes involved in project management and practice communication, presentation and teamwork skills. Following the six-month academy programme, WeCode continues to employ the women for six months. During this time, the participants can build up their own networks: the WeCode team accompanies them to careers fairs and assists them in applying for jobs.

GIZ’s education experts Vanessa Dreier and Lukas Hilgers will be available for interviews on Tuesday, 3 March from 9:00 to 10:30 and on Wednesday, 4 March from 14:00 to 16:00 to answer your questions about the #eSkills4Girls initiative. You will also be able to speak via Skype with women who have completed the programme and will share their experiences. Please contact GIZ’s Press Office to arrange an appointment.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. It supports the German Government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. We are also engaged in international education activities around the globe. Through our work we assist people and societies in shaping their own future and improving living conditions.