Girls in ICT - Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities

In the framework of the International Day of Girls in ICT, 2022, society as a whole is seeking to to encourage girls and young women to to develop their studies and professional careers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in order to reduce the existing digital gender gap.

• This year's theme is focused on how to reduce barriers to access and security to ensure that girls and young women can use technology to further their STEM interests and careers in science and technology.
• Luciana Tudela and Sandra Niza, IT Business Managers from the Zemsania team share their own experience with their daughters and perspective on the use of ICTs.

Luciana, why is it so important for girls and women in general to be interested in ICT?

I insist to my daughters that nowadays, every economic activity that is being carried out in the world implicitly involves the use of some technological element.

In my opinion the computational thinking, the programming and the data analysis allow a comprehensive and solid response to a context of constant change, in which the skills related to digital technologies are essential for development, social inclusion and the construction of knowledge from a very young age.

The youngest of my daughters, she feels real curiosity about my work and my role in the technology sector., In fact, when someone asks «What does your mom do for a living?» she replies:

My mom helps people who work with computers get jobs ????

...in COVID times, ICT was key, wasn't it?

They became accustomed almost immediately to working in common repositories and doing collaborative work in the cloud, to attending online meetings in which traditional classes were replicated.

Mom, don't come into my room, I have a very important “call” with my tutor and I don't want her to see you coming in. ????

My daughters and son received online schooling for 2 years and I realized how quickly and easily they adapted:

• My eldest daughter managed to finish high school and the youngest learned to read and write, both online.
• Not only did they respect long online educational days, but they also They socialized with their friends thanks to a digital way, avoiding being overwhelmed by the situation.
• On many occasions, when there were problems at the user level, they were the ones who supported the teachersYou have not uploaded it properly, now you have to share, now you have to do this and the other .....

Sandra, when your daughters are older, do they want to go into something related to ICT?

They are “digital natives” (they were born with a digital device in their hands) and although they are still very young and do not have a clear idea of their professional future, sometimes they tell me «I want to be a surgeon”, other times they tell me “I want to be an architect”, another day “gardener” ... I transmit to them that technology will be present in the profession of their choice, whatever it may be.

I think that something that is vital is to educate by example, to break down prejudices, to change this idea that studying science is boring, that it is not feminine, nothing pretty and that you are always reading books. The truth is that demonstrating that science is fun and entertaining is a challenge we face, especially with children and adolescents.

Note that only 7 years old, The youngest, who loves decorating and building things, asked me for permission to download an app to design her own plans and see what her new room would look like.

So... how to achieve a safe and responsible development with new technologies in your daily life?

It is essential to review the educational practices inside and outside the school system, The program also provides the means to build relevant experiences that promote and strengthen the development of new cognitive skills at all levels.

Without a safe and reliable connection to the internet and digital tools, girls and young women cannot learn and pursue careers in STEM.

In addition, it is essential to create a trustworthy framework for to be able to talk about anything that catches their attention, paying special attention to the type of content that can be found, ranging from explicit, discriminatory and even violent images...

The objective is that they do not normalize certain things from such an early age, we must ensure that they acquire criteria, know how to regulate themselves and do things that are not normalized. responsible conscious use.

Luciana and Sandra, why do we need more women in the ICT sector?

According to UNESCO, only 30% of the women who choose a university degree choose to study subjects related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). According to the World Bank, in Latin America less than 10% of STEM graduates are women.

Recognizing that this gender gap is present is the first step to transforming it, since stereotypes end up excluding women from a segment, such as science and technology, that generates value, job opportunities and greater possibilities for economic growth.

Join and encourage girls around the world to achieve their tech dreams by using the hashtag #InternationalGirls'ICTDay #GirlsWithoutICTs