The third edition of ‘Girls Got IT’ was held in Tripoli, Lebanon on May 13, 2017. It is a joint Initiative between five Lebanese NGOs, led by Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB) in collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and sponsored by UNICEF.

The event held at the Beirut Arab University, was attented by 460 female students in a record-breaking turnout.

The aim of the five collaborating NGOs, which are the Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB), Arab Women in Computing (ArabWIC), Women in Technology (WIT), Women in Engineering (WIE) and Digital Opportunity trust (DOT), is to grant female students in Lebanon the experience of testing the latest innovations in technology through over 20 hands-on workshops. Workshops were delivered by successful partners, startups and entrepreneurs.

The nationwide initiative seeks to deliver tailored workshops to young female students in different cities across Lebanon to empower them and bridge the gender gap, when it comes to technology, promoting digital literacy and enhancing STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

“Our goal is to empower the minds of the female population in Lebanon, from a young age, and showcase that the technology and engineering are topics that are core to our futures – and women should be granted equal opportunities to enrich their knowledge in these fields,” said Ms. Asmahan Zein, president of the LLWB.

“The main goal of ‘Girls Got IT’, one of the initiatives UNICEF supports through its Youth Innovation Labs programme, is to promote digital literacy amongst young girls by introducing them to careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and developing their digital skills, thus bridging the gender gap,” said UNICEF Representative Tanya Chapuisat.  

More than 800 students joined ‘Girls Got IT’ in 2016 and experienced the latest innovations in technology through hands on workshops. Students were also given the opportunity to network and select mentors from the rich membership of the five partners NGOs, as well as attend workshops delivered by successful startups and entrepreneurs from various STEM industries.

The ‘Girls Got IT’ program was created to encourage girls to select IT and STEM subjects as career choices; break the cultural stereotypes of women in STEM by exposing young girls to essential technology skills and inspiring role models and success stories from Lebanon; support the technology start-up ecosystem in Lebanon and empower youth and turn them into engaged citizens, able to be positive contributors to their society.

The next edition of ‘Girls Got IT’ will be held in October 2017.

Feature image via UNICEF.