In a press release received on Monday by Walfnet, UN Women announced the signing of a partnership for the promotion of the digital inclusion of girls and the economic empowerment of women in Senegal with the mobile telephone operator Free.

“UN Women and Free Senegal have signed a partnership to finance two coding camps per year (2025 and 2026) dedicated to girls as well as support for the federation of women active in fishing in Kayar and the cooperative of women and young seed growers,” we read.

Creating the foundations for a more egalitarian society

According to the document, through this partnership, UN Women and Free Senegal mark “a significant step towards a future where gender equality and technological progress go hand in hand to break gender stereotypes and promote the empowerment and leadership of women and girls”

“Digital opens up new development prospects in all sectors open to innovation. It is therefore crucial to actively promote digital inclusion to move towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” underlines the UN organization.

She also informs that in sub-Saharan Africa, the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has on average only 30% women.

“This statistic highlights the pressing need to increase initiatives to strengthen women’s participation in these vital sectors, thereby creating the foundations for a more equal and dynamic society,” she emphasizes.

Acquire a set of technical and soft skills

It is with this in mind that UN Women launched the African girls can code initiative (AGCCI) with the aim of “strengthening the digital literacy and operational skills of young girls in the innovation and technology sectors. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)” in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the International Telecommunications Union.

“The initiatives that we intend to carry out with Free will allow women and girls to acquire a set of technical and general skills which will allow them to flourish both professionally and personally,” explained the coordinator of the UN Women Senegal office, Djénaba WANE NDIAYE.

Source: walf-groupe.com/