Miss Geek Africa – Promoting Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths 9. YOUNG WOMEN’S MOVEMENT ....................................................................................................................................................... 269

In addition to its major victory in overturning the ban, the human rights groups coalition in Sierra Leone has also raised consciousness regarding government actions towards curbing early and unwanted pregnancy. Instead of banning pregnant girls and adolescent mothers from school, the government is now liaising with both local and international organisations to ensure young people are well informed about birth control, contraception and the influence of social norms on their personal lives and reproductive functions.2167

Miss Geek Africa – Promoting Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths

The past decade has seen an increase in the numbers of girls and young women enrolled in and completing school. When it comes to pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), however, boys and young men continue to dominate, while girls and young women are underrepresented. According to the 2017 UNESCO study “Cracking the Code: Girls’ and Women’s Education in STEM,” globally women make up 35% of all students in STEMrelated fields of study in higher education.2168 Across Africa, there is a significant gender gap in enrolment and graduation from STEM fields. For example, while Rwanda is a signatory of the 2017 Kigali Declaration, which aims to close the gender gap in science and technology, more boys than girls chose to pursue studies in the STEM fields.2169 In Rwanda, young women made up 35.4% of the total number of graduates in the STEM fields in 2018.2170 The low enrolment of girls and women in STEM fields owes to cultural beliefs, and gender stereotypes that discourage girls from pursuing sciences as these fields are seen as too hard for girls or as male spheres. There are few examples of successful women in STEM who can mentor girls and advocate for girls’ education in these fields, and this reinforces negative perceptions.2171

On International Women’s Day in 2014, the first Miss Geek was crowned in Rwanda. Girls in ICT, a group of female tech entrepreneurs, started the competition, having decided that it was time to judge women based on their brilliance rather than their beauty.2172 Miss Geek Rwanda encouraged girls and young women in Rwanda to pursue studies in STEM fields and to develop innovative technology or business ideas to solve their communities’ problems.2173 A driving force and a vital component of the competition was to link girls and young women with female role models and mentors who work in the STEM fields. Research has shown that role models and mentors have a significant impact on the success of girls and young women in STEM and other fields.2174 The competition was streamed on YouTube and soon began to build a following.2175 The Miss Geek competition also benefited from strong support from Rwanda’s government, which is committed to reducing gender disparities and increasing the number of students, in particular female students, in STEM.2176

A year after the first competition, which had no sponsorship, Miss Geek secured partners, including the Ministry of Youth and ICT and UNDP.2177 Girls in ICT Rwanda partnered with Smart Africa, an alliance of 30 African countries, and the competition became known as Miss Geek Africa. The expanded competition is open to girls, between the ages of 13 and 21, from 28 countries (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Over the years, the number of applications has risen. In 2019, for example, Miss Geek Africa received 250 applications.2178

In preparation for the competition, each of the finalists participates in a training programme led by entrepreneurs who focus on presentation, public speaking and critical thinking.2179 The top three winners receive awards that include a cash reward, a laptop, a smartphone, an internship and an opportunity to participate in the Transform Africa Summit, where they interact with industry and government leaders.2180 Among the ideas to solve problems in their communities presented by the top contestants is an app that informs the community on first aid for victims before the ambulance arrives, presented by Salissou Hassane Latifa of Niger.2181 To reduce maternal deaths, Josephine Uwase Ndeze of DR Congo designed a mobile platform to help expectant mothers monitor their health during pregnancy and to connect them with health care services when the need arises.2182

The Miss Geek competition contributes to changing the perception of what girls can do and to breaking stereotypes.2183 The competition has connected girls and young women interested in STEM with women working in these fields who serve as mentors and role models. Moreover, past winners and contestants in Miss Geek Rwanda and Miss Geek Africa serve as role models for young women and girls who have ideas and an interest in STEM and show them how to use these.2184 Although no statistics on the direct impact of the Miss Geek competition were found, anecdotal evidence points to an increased interest in studying and working in STEM fields among girls and young women in Rwanda and other African countries. In Rwanda, the Ministry of Education has reported an increase from 48.7% in 2011 to 55.1% in 2015 of young women studying STEM in secondary education.2185