Dakar, 20 May 2022 (TDI): The ECA Connected African Girls Innovation shining Fair took place in the capital of Senegal, Dakar on Thursday.

Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) attended the fair. Songwe expressed her support for the project and chatted with the girls there.

The innovation fair is a part of the 54th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (CoM2022). Young girls from the African continent received prizes for demonstrating exceptional coding, robotics, and gaming skills at the 2-day fair.

What is the ECA Connected African Girls Innovation?

The ECA launched the Connected African Girls Innovation program. The program provides African girls with a coding camp. Besides, the project has diversified partnerships including the Government of Cameroon, UNWOMEN, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and UNESCO.

The ECA coding camp aims to ensure young girls have access to STEAM at a young age. Moreover, by providing necessary technology education and skills to young women and girls, the ECA coding camp works on promoting Africa’s integration. Furthermore, such talent education will also generate inclusive economic growth, stimulate job creation, and break the digital divide.

The ECA Connected African Girls Innovation has already made a great success last year. In 2021, about 3,000 young females aged between 12 and 25 years attended the camping in Cameroon and also online.

Why is Coding Education Important to African Girls?

Roughly speaking, there is a 23% digital divide between men and women on the African continent. In Africa, only 22.5% of women in Africa have access to the internet as opposed to 33.8% of men. By bridging the gap, ECA’s camp has the potential to eradicate poverty for the continent’s socio-economic development. In addition, the outcome of women coding education can ensure Africa’s ownership of modern tools of digital management.