The GSMA was selected by the Women Economic Forum (WEF) as a recipient of its 2019 award in the category “Iconic Company Creating a Better World for All” for its GSMA Tech4Girls initiative. Paula Ferrari, Regional Marketing Director, Latin America, GSMA, accepted the award on behalf of the GSMA at a ceremony held during the WEF’s 28th global gathering on Friday, 2 August in Cartagena.
“This award is a great honour and a strong acknowledgment of our efforts to achieve gender equality and take the leadership in reducing the digital gender gap,” said Ferrari during her acceptance speech. “We need to attract girls and women to tech as a career, changing perceptions on what technology can do for women.”
GSMA Tech4Girls comprises a series of hands-on educational workshops for young girls, designed to increase their self-confidence and interest in technology, encouraging them to pursue education and careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics). Activities range from developing an artificial intelligence device to creating a computer using a Kano Kit, coding a mobile app or learning the basics of music programming to create a ringtone. Workshops also include exposure to role models and mentors in the mobile sector.
Tech4Girls is part of the global GSMA’s Women4Tech programme, which focuses on reducing the persistent gender gap in the mobile industry, inspiring industry action for female leadership and workforce representation.
Women4Tech supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 5: “to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.” The programme offers different touchpoints for women throughout their education and career journeys through dedicated initiatives, development and networking opportunities.
“Tech4Girls is gaining tremendous momentum but there is still a lot of work to be done to increase female representation across the mobile industry,” said Ana Tavares-Lattibeaudiere, Head of North America, GSMA. “The GSMA partners with its members, communities and MWC events to create a path for girls and women in STEAM.”
Under Tavares-Lattibeaudiere’s leadership, GSMA North America launched Tech4Girls in 2018 with the initiative immediately expanding into GSMA Latin America. Tech4Girls launched globally in April 2019 with events across 11 cities in observance of International Girls in ICT Day. Participating GSMA locations include Atlanta, Barcelona, Beijing, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Guyana, Hong Kong, London, Nairobi, and Trinidad and Tobago.
