6 communities that are building the digital generation of girls in Africa

The United Nation’s theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child is, “Digital Generation. Our Generation”, we highlighted 6 communities in Africa that are promoting and creating opportunities for young girls in tech through education.

In recognition of girls’ rights and the unique challenges faced by girls around the world, the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011 adopted a Resolution that paved way for the adoption of October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child.

The day draws attention to the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights thereby amplifying the voices and rights of girls everywhere. According to the United Nations Women’s website, the year’s theme intends to influence “equal access to the internet and digital devices for girls’ and targeted investments to facilitate opportunities for girls to safely and meaningfully access, use, lead and design technology.”

In March 2021, the Generation Equality Forum made technology and innovation a priority in global conversations on gender equality. This priority intends to build more “inclusive digital societies through providing equitable opportunities to girls, investing in feminist technology and putting girls and young women at the center of designing and learning solutions for the digital world.”

To commemorate this year’s event and theme, out of many we curated 6 communities that are building the next generation of girls on the continent.

She Code Africa

Through an intensive mentorship program, She Code Africa - a non-profit organization provides African girls with access to a network of female professionals. Currently, SCA is operational on thirteen campuses in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Cameroon including; the University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Kenya amongst others. Off-campus, the organization operates in 14 cities in Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda. SCA might be in your city, check here

Founded by Ada Nduka Oyom, an Ecosystem Community Manager with Google's Developer's Relations team with the goal to create “an Africa where women are equally represented across all career roles in technology”, She Code Africa provides an opportunity for girls to access learning resources -tutorials, articles, and videos, job opportunities and promotions to global conferences and tech events. To join over 7000 women in the community click here

Developers in Vogue

Founded in 2017 by Ivy Barley, a Program Manager at Microsoft, Developers in Vogue aims at creating a relevant community of amazing African women who are passionate about using technology to revolutionize Africa and beyond. Through the community, young ladies are trained in web and mobile apps development, data science and digital marketing and also get them placement at real-time projects and jobs.

While most of its on-site activities take place in Accra, Ghana. African ladies outside Ghana can participate remotely in a 6-month online fellowship where fellows learn full-stack web development. Without prior knowledge of coding, the modules help the fellows to understand programming, HTML, CSS, Javascript and other programming languages.

Afro Tech Girls

Afro-Tech Girls is a Nigerian non-profit organization founded in 2015 to increase the participation of girls and young women in STEM. The organization work to encourage STEM subjects at secondary school and university and stick with it even after education.

Every summer, ATG hosts secondary school girls to a boot camp that exposes them to the possibilities in tech.

Women Who Code

This is an international not-for-profit organization, Women Who Code that ‘‘started as a community group in 2011 when a handful of technologists decided they wanted to change the industry experience for women engineers.

Since then, it has become a global non-profit organization and the world's largest and most active community dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. One city at a time, Women Who Code spread around the world, reaching more than 20 countries.’’

In Africa, has a local network in Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana. Launched in 2019, both network believes in the grand vision of WWC;‘ a world where women are proportionally represented as technical leaders, executives, founders, VCs, board members, and software engineers.’’

To be part of this community, click here

Tech Her NG

Headquartered in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, Tech Her NG is a social enterprise with a mission to bridge the knowledge gap between gender and technology and empower women for personal and social transformation.

Learn more about this organization here

Women Techmarkers

Google’s Women Techmakers program provides visibility, community, and resources for women in technology. Since 2014, thousands of women in technology have been brought together through WTM events and leadership programs.

Members of this community have access to connect with a global network of women in technology in Membership Slack communities. As well as learning materials tailored to help girls and women to succeed and thrive in their tech careers.

“Women no longer have an ‘if I can’ mindset. Now it’s more about ‘how I can’— be in tech, start something in tech, fund something in tech. That shift is exciting! And it happened because we created a network where we show, daily, that women are innovating.” - Shaherose Charania, Co-Founder and CEO of Women 2.0

This list was curated with the assistance of She Code Africa, it will be updated as soon as we curate other communities. Feel free to make recommendations.

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