Empowering African Girls with Digital Skills: A New Era of Inclusion and Innovation

At a broader level, UNESCO’s collaboration with the African Union has led to the development of inclusive STEM ecosystems across the continent.

Despite progress in digital literacy, sub-Saharan Africa still faces a striking gender divide in digital skills. According to UNESCO’s 2024 Gender Report “Technology on Her Terms”, only 40 to 44 women in the region possess spreadsheet proficiency for every 100 men with the same skills. Moreover, fewer than one in three STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates in most African countries are women. This gap highlights the urgent need for targeted initiatives to support girls and women in gaining digital competencies critical for the 21st century.

Tanzania: A Beacon of Hope and Transformation

As the world prepares to celebrate the International Day of Girls in ICT on April 24, stories from Tanzania shine a light on how young girls are reclaiming their futures through technology. In rural and urban classrooms alike, young girls are taking charge of their education and reshaping their communities through digital innovation.

Vivian, a spirited secondary school student, encapsulates this hope: “Every girl has a dream—maybe about digital skills, software, cybersecurity, or making different design applications. I would like to tell them that they need to keep up their efforts to achieve their dreams.” Her classmate Maria adds that the impact of digital skills stretches far beyond computing: “Digital skills help me in learning different subjects, not only computer science… I get a lot of knowledge about the world.”

These voices are more than anecdotes—they are a testament to the transformative power of education and technology.

Global Partnerships Fueling Local Change

Driving this transformation is a powerful network of international cooperation. A noteworthy partnership between UNESCO and Beijing Normal University is at the core of efforts to reduce the digital divide for women and girls in Ghana and Tanzania. Through targeted programs, they are training both pre-service and in-service teachers in gender-responsive pedagogy. This approach ensures that educators are equipped with the tools to foster inclusive learning environments where girls are encouraged to pursue and excel in STEM fields.

“We are working,” says Xinyi Niu, Programme Coordinator at UNESCO’s International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED), “to train pre-service and in-service teachers on gender-responsive pedagogy to ensure they have the proper tools and approaches to nurture girls in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) learning and digital skills.”

A Continental Vision for Inclusive STEM Education

At a broader level, UNESCO’s collaboration with the African Union has led to the development of inclusive STEM ecosystems across the continent. The 2024 Continental Conference on STEM marked a pivotal moment, with over 660 participants from 34 African countries gathering to commit to practical and gender-transformative educational strategies. These leaders recognized that investing in girls’ STEM education is not only an equity issue but a critical step toward Africa’s technological and economic advancement.

The Promise of a Digitally Empowered Generation

The impact of these initiatives reaches beyond individual success. For girls like Vivian and Maria, acquiring digital skills opens doors to opportunity, agency, and innovation. “Girls can come up with different ideas to make different things with digital skills,” says Vivian. “So, I believe they can bring something new to this world.”

Their stories illustrate a powerful shift: girls are not just future users of technology—they are becoming its creators, leaders, and changemakers. Each line of code they write, every app they design, and each concept they master represents a step forward in dismantling barriers and redefining roles.

Looking Ahead

This International Girls in ICT Day, we are reminded that the future of technology must be shaped by all voices—especially those of girls who have historically been left behind. The stories emerging from Tanzania are both a call to action and a celebration of resilience, innovation, and hope.

As we continue to champion digital inclusion, let us invest in policies, programs, and partnerships that ensure every girl, regardless of geography or background, has the tools and support to thrive in our digital world.

Because when girls rise in tech, the whole world rises with them.