UN Women & Partners Launch African Girls Can Code ICT Hub

• UN Women, with support from the African Union Commission, ITU, and GIZ, launched a new ICT Hub
• The Hub is located at Wanyange Girls’ Secondary School in Jinja District, Uganda
• The overall objective is to empower young women with digital skills to engage with the tech economy

In coordination with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and in partnership with GIZ, UN Women has launched the Eastern Region African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) ICT Hub at Wanyange Girls' Secondary School in the Jinja District.

The hub is vital in terms of addressing girls' and young women's access to technology and will ultimately support their participation in the tech ecosystem in Uganda.

With 60 computers equipped with modern technologies, the ICT Hub will deliver on-the-job training in coding, digital literacy, multimedia, and innovation.

The Hub will also provide a space for mentorship and networking to link AGCCI alumnae with students in the school and develop their creativity, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Adekemi Ndieli, Deputy Representative at UN Women, said that once girls have the opportunity and access to technology, they will not only participate but lead.

Adekemi added that the Hub is a symbol that we are striving to close the gender digital divide and ensure girls are participating in Uganda’s digital future.

In Uganda, only 26 percent of women have access to the internet, compared to 45 percent of men, creating a gender gap which limits access to education, innovation, and employment. The AGCCI program teaches digital and coding skills to girls ages 17-25 to prepare them for working in ICT and STEM.

The AGCCI program supports Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 5 (Gender Equality), is consistent with Uganda Vision 2040, Uganda's Vision 2040 Pacific Plan, and Agenda 2063.

Since beginning activity in 2018, AGCCI has reached the lives of over 2,000 girls in Africa; and currently has 240 girls in Uganda participating in its third cycle of the program.

Most of the beneficiaries have gone on to build ICT-based businesses, implement technology programs in schools, and provide mentoring for other adolescent girls in their communities.

Evaluations of the programme indicate significant progress. Members who had no knowledge of computers are now developing websites and designing technology-based solutions to challenges in their communities.

For Karamoja, female registration for vocational ICT courses increased from 18 percent to 64 percent, while Lira schools began offering new ICT courses through local campaign campaigns.