Since 2011, every fourth Thursday of April is celebrated the Girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Daypromoted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This date seeks to highlight the gender gap in technology and promote real opportunities for more girls to discover, explore and create in this world.
From a very young age, girls begin to lose interest and confidence in mathematics: between the ages of 6 and 8, 30% say it is the subject they like the least, and the percentage rises to 40% between the ages of 9 and 10 (UN Women, 2023). This has nothing to do with ability, but with stereotypes and cultural barriers that still persist.
In a context where technology is growing but does not reach everyone in the same way, it is essential that they have tools, references and spaces that accompany their curiosity from an early age.
Inspiration is born in the classroom
From Girls in TechnologyOn this day, we celebrate by recognizing something simple but very powerful: many times, it all starts with a spark. A moment when a child or teenager realizes that she can be on the other side of the screen too.
We know that that first door opens many times at school. In a class, in a conversation, in a different proposal that shows her that technology can also be a place for her.
For this reason, together with Fundación Cimientos and Enseñá por Argentina, with co-financing from the European Union, we have created a new site with educational resources on gender and technology. So that more teachers can add proposals that spark new questions, awaken vocations and open new paths. And so that more girls can find, in this everyday environment, the starting point of a transformation.
📚 Access the materials at. chicasentecnologia.org/educational-materials
Motivational advice: what a girl needs to hear
What advice would you have liked to hear as a child? From the CET CommunityThe young people who today are already building their way in technology responded with messages that embrace, encourage and open the game for many more:
"They'll make you feel like you're too much. But that's just what's going to allow you to use technology to create spaces where others can also be who they are." - Alessandra.
"Don't be afraid to try, you are capable of great things. There is a whole world of amazing women in ICT."- Florence.
"Now technology seems like a game to you, but someday you're going to discover that that's where you belong. The important thing is to trust your path."- Oriana.
"Trust your curiosity, don't be afraid to make mistakes, surround yourself with people who believe in you and don't forget that your voice and talent are needed in STEM."
- Lucia.
Each of these voices brings something in common: the certainty that there is room for more girls in technology, and that taking the plunge can be the first step in changing everything.
When one girl finds a space to imagine, many more can begin to create the future. Click and join the change from your location. Every classroom, every conversation, every proposal can make a difference.
