Digital revolution an opportunity to produce digitally savvy women: Pang

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United Nations Resident Coordinator, Sen Pang has said the digital revolution provides an opportunity to empower girls and young women by developing their creativity and enhancing their entrepreneurial skills.

Speaking here on Tuesday during the opening ceremony for the fifth edition of the ‘Connected African Girls Coding Camp,’ Pang said by taking a problem-solving approach and putting the latter at the heart of the community, ICTs transform marginalised people’s learning experiences and provide them with access to learning resources both online and offline.

This is the first time the coding camp is held in Namibia. It started Tuesday and ends on 24 August.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) commissioned the coding camp in collaboration with the Namibian Government, UN Namibia, UN Women, the International Telecommunications Union, and Telecom Namibia.

The hybrid training brings together African women and girls aged 12 to 25, with 100 participants from Namibia physically attending and hundreds more joining virtually from across the African continent.

According to Pang, the camp is aimed at promoting ICTs as important tools for women’s empowerment and to improve employment opportunities for girls and women.

“I am confident that the Connected African Girls ICT boot camp will bridge the digital divide and advance ICT skills across Africa. Furthermore, I believe that youth empowerment is critical to a nation’s prosperity, and that ICT can help to facilitate such inclusive development. To be realised, the latter also necessitates the active participation of the private sector partnership,” he stated.

Pang added that the programme’s curriculum will provide the necessary knowledge, technological tools, and platforms to improve young girls and women’s digital literacy and personal development skills.

Meanwhile Jean Paul Adam, Director of the UNECA Division of Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources, said achieving gender parity among entrepreneurs will require women to have more opportunities and better access to digital technologies from a young age.

“The ECA Connected African Girls Coding Camp has had a significant impact on girls and young women across the continent in multi-sectoral innovation and technology. You will all agree with me that achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment on our continent is more important than ever. Women make up 50 per cent of the African population,” he said.

Adam stated that leaders must champion initiatives such as the Connected African Girl initiative to prepare young women to lead the fourth industrial revolution.

‘Source: The Namibian Press Agency