UNESCO, CNRU and Rwanda Government boost gender inclusion in digital technology

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

Science Experts from the Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) believe that gender inclusion in digital technology will help to advance girls’ skills in coding and enhance their capacities in Artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle issues of the society.

This will be achieved through developing new applications that are useful to perform different works in the community.

As they celebrate the International ‘Girls in ICT Day with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the global technology community on August 18, 2022, Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) in close partnership and collaboration with UNESCO, Ministry of ICT & Innovation (MINICT), Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) & Creativity Lab, Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) hosted a virtual training workshop for young girls on Coding Skills and Principles of Artificial Intelligence on 18 and 19 August 2022 in Kigali Rwanda.

Dubbed: “Strengthening Capacities of Young Girls on Artificial Intelligence and Coding,” the training aims to empower young people worldwide, particularly young women, with both the high-level skills and confidence to develop, promote, and sell locally relevant mobile applications (apps) that solve local issues of sustainable development, and provide self-generated, viable employment opportunities in the mobile/ICT industry.

50 young girls from high school, TVET institutions, teachers and University students drawn from across the country participated to this workshop.

Participants joined the workshop remotely and gained theoretical and practical knowledge through the Microsoft team.

‘’Education in the field of STEM is a driver of innovation and economic growth and studies have reported that girls’ achievement in ICT skills was higher than boys, yet their confidence in those skills was lower,” highlighted Ms. Misako Ito, Adviser for Communication and Information for Africa at UNESCO Nairobi during Girls in ICT Day celebration in Thailand.

“This is why we have to identify strategies to overcome social and psychological barriers to keep highly skilled girls and women in the fields of STEM and ICT,” she added.

This awareness-raising initiative was designed to promote tech studies and careers to a new generation of girls and young women.

According to UNESCO, Girls and young women who learn coding, apps development and computer science will not only be well-placed for a successful career in the ICT sector, but ICT skills are rapidly becoming a strong advantage for students in just about any other field they might choose to pursue.

Mr. Albert Mutesa, Secretary General of Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO said that gender inclusion in digital technology is a challenge all players still have to fully address.

‘’The expertise becomes more and more relevant in our modern world through giving young people ICT skills, it is something that they benefit from all of their professional life, but you also give them power to decide their own destinies and contribute to the socio-development,’’ Mutesa said.

“UNESCO ICTs and STEM programs should be seen as an important milestone towards the on-going campaign of promoting girls to improve their skills in digital and innovation technology,’’ he added.

During the two days’ workshop, selected girls and young women learnt more about the Ethics of Artificial Intelligences, Coding and other related skills.

The training was facilitated by experts from academia, public and private sectors that promote digital and innovation technology.

This activity has been organized within the UNESCO framework of building inclusive knowledge societies, the UNESCO Youth Mobile Initiative which supports activities aimed at spreading computer science education and enabling the creative use of technology for solving local issues of sustainable development.

“This is in line with UNESCO global priorities. The Youth Mobile initiative promotes the implementation of activities supporting the African continent and addressing the gender gap in digital skills development.” Said Ir Dominique Mvunabandi, Director of Sciences, Technology & Innovations Unit at Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU).

Experts commitment

“We really want to contribute in this sector and help the young generation to get opportunity of enhancing capacity to boost professionalism in developing new applications that tackle issues our society is facing; with the ethics of Artificial Intelligence, we are ready to provide inputs for those who need to develop their applications for their career,” said Mr. Ngandeu Ngatta Hugue, Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO.

Dr. Marie Christine Gasingirwa, Applied Science Analyst at Higher Education Council (HEC) and Chairperson of Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU) said that girls need to be integrated in 4th industrial revolution as per the mandates of UNESCO in advancing girls towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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