Every year, the fourth Thursday in April marks the ITU International Girls in ICT Day. Celebrated with a series of events around the globe, the initiative aims to encourage young women to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The WACREN community in West & Central Africa has fully embraced the challenge of addressing the underrepresentation of women in these fields by providing ample training and networking opportunities. Last January it held its first Women in WACREN event titled “Physical Computing with Python” at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Co-sponsored by Eko-Konnect, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the AfricaConnect2 project, the workshop attracted 30 women from 5 countries and introduced content for a 10-week training experience which continued online after the event.
“We hope to replicate the training for women at WACREN member institutions.”
Omo Oaiya, WACREN’s Chief Technology Officer
The workshop was followed by the Eko-Konnect ICT for Girls Community Day which offered a platform for women in ICT to share words of encouragement, strategies for success and research affirming the need for more women in STEM fields.
Read the In The Field blog story to find out more how WACREN empowers women in the community.
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