NOVEMBER 3, 2015
Women in ICT Forum – White Paper Report
WWW.GIRLSGOIT.ORG
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KEY SPEAKERS:
Addressing the gender gap in IT education, employment and entrepreneurship requires an integrated approach, which includes establishing a facilitating policy environment, improving access to quality vocational education, and expanding mentoring, networking and job placement opportunities for women, including those now more exposed to the digital divide such as Romani women, women with disabilities, rural women and women migrants.
ABAYOMI OGUNDIPE
VICTOR GUZUN, Ex-
DIANA MARUSIC, GirlsGoIT
NATALIA RUSU, Project Officer,
CORINA SCLIFOS, GirlsGoIT
KUMAIL JETHA, Country
MARIA TOMA, Technovation
SILVIA RADU, Executive
The event, Women in ICT Forum gathered Government institutions, business leaders, investors, NGOs and policy makers based in Moldova to share findings, innovations and agree on practical solutions for gender equality and economic empowerment through entrepreneurship and ICT, delivering The Global Goals for sustainable development through Technology in Education Enabled Programs, Equality and Partnership in Moldova.
SHEILA SCOTT, Senior Program
CONSTANTIN RUSU, Gover-
VITALIE TARLEV, Deputy
KRISTINA RADUCAN, National
Women in ICT forum has enabled a unique opportunity to reflect on the state of play of women in IT in the Republic of Moldova, analyse the international experience in promoting gender equality in the IT sector, and explore ways to advance the situation in the country with contribution of all involved parties, including relevant government agencies, donors, civil society actors and IT companies.
Ambassador of Sweden to Moldova
At the end, the forum discussion, participants will commit to meaningful change with a shared action plan detailing necessary actions to promote women’s access to skills, jobs and entrepreneurship in the IT field.
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(Moderator), Program Manager, TEKEDU and GirlsGoIT
Summer Camp Participants
Summer Camp Participants
Challenge Girls
Officer, IREX International
Minister, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology EVAN TRACZ, Country Director
Ambassador of Moldova to Estonia
Council of Europe
Director, Endava Moldova
President, Gas Union Fenosa
nance Advisor, World Bank
Consultant, Roma Women ANITA DUMITRIA, Program
Manager, Caritas
IREX Moldova and Novateca Program Director
JUANPI RAMOS GONZALEZ,
SIGNE BURGSTALLER, H.E
ANGELICA PETROV, LeaderSHE
ANDREI SPINU, Deputy Minister
of Youth and Sport.
HANNAH KLEINE-KATTHOFER,
Attache, representing the German Embassy to Moldova VALENTINA BULIGA, President
Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Policy and European Integration
BORIS GILCA, Deputy Minister,
Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family
President, AIESEC Moldova
ULZIISUREN JAMSRAN,
Country Representative, UN Women in Moldova
INTRODUCTION
The meeting began with the moderator Abayomi Ogundipe, the program manager for Girls Go IT and TEKEDU, describing the importance and value of women and girls developing webbased technology skills. Mr. Ogundipe stated that this roundtable discussion would be utilized to bring the international community, government organizations and the private business sector together to fund and promote the development of training women in the IT field for 2016 and beyond. Mr. Ogundipe presented to everyone a video of the Girls Go IT camp that was developed to train young women from rural areas of Moldova in web-based technology. The camp introduced web-based technology, taught basic computer skills and then put those learned skills to use in developing web-based solutions to solve issues within their communities. Participants who attended the two week long summer camp, held in August 2015, gave testimonials of their experience.
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OPPORTU TO LEARN DIANA MARUSIC GIRLS GO IT CAMP PARTICIPANT
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I very much appreciated the opportunity to learn with other girls. I had taken an IT class previously in 2013 but felt lonely and uncomfortable being the only girl in the class. It was a much better learning environment in the Girls Go IT summer camp.
CORINA SCLIFOS GIRLS GO IT CAMP PARTICIPANT
I was very pleased with the summer camp and hope that this project will continue. It was especially impressive that some of the girls who have disabilities were also participating. I learned a lot from this experience.
UNITY N SILVIA RADU
We need to start thinking about engaging children or start earlier in kindergartens about their views for future because children have no stereotypes or biased mindset. We can develop a special program using ICT and fitted for their age so as to start growing their minds and generation to be ready for the future digital economy. We all know that our girls have high capacity in mathematics, therefore we can use that strength to build some sustainable activities that will engage them in critical thinking and problem solving at a very tender age. We as an organisation have different projects with schools and kindergartens promoting security of electricity usage. Gas Union Fenosa will support initiative to promote ICT education for children, especially young girls from the very early age.
EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT GAS UNION FENOSA
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TECHNOVATION CHALLENGE GIRLS
VITALIE TARLEV THE DEPUTY MINISTER FROM THE MOLDOVAN MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
EVAN TRACZ COUNTRY DIRECTOR REPRESENTING IREX MOLDOVA AND NOVATECA
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The Moldovan government has worked to develop a more inclusive society during the last two years. The goal is to create a fully diverse society by 2020. The government has a goal to expand high speed internet availability to rural areas of the country. A Center of Excellence will be established to meet the demands for IT jobs that are needed now and in the future. IT parks will be developed for all young people to have access to internet services. The government’s goal is to not concentrate on diversity but to train everyone. Resources are not plentiful for the government to do all it would like.
DEVELOPMENT
MARIA TOMA
I participated in the Technovation Challenge Girls program that was started three years ago. It was through this program that I was able to learn about IT and help my community. I was happy to be awarded a $10,000 prize which included a visit to the United States, where I learned how to write an IT program that could be used to determine the safety of drinking water in my community. This experience has also given me a deep desire for learning and I am thankful for the opportunity. Mr. Ogundipe thanked the three young women for their efforts and the progress they made; he then pointed out how important it is to continue these types of programs for Moldova and especially, the rural communities in Moldova.
Novateca has been operating in Moldova for four years and has been working to modernize libraries for future development in preparation for training young women in IT. Women and young girls make up 60 percent of the library patronage in Moldova. They feel safe and the librarian is a natural support person for the women. A library provides the early introduction of IT to young girls and libraries are a natural fit for introducing IT to women. While being a good introductory model to IT, it is not conducive to more advanced training and should be incorporated as one part of a holistic approach to bridge the IT gender gap. Girls Go IT is a prime example of a needed program that provides another element in the holistic approach model.
by infrastructure, policies, and resources. The second is skills and knowledge and the third is pedagogy, which is the method of teaching.
SHEILA SCOTT THE SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER FOR IREX INTERNATIONAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.CHALLENGE GIRLS
IREX International works with governments, the private sector, and members of the civil society to increase access to information globally and to teach 21st century digital skills. We work with young women in Moldova, teaching digital skills and also accessing and teaching IT skills through the library system. We are here today, to share in the common goal of providing the support needed to teach and provide opportunities for young women in the IT field. The World Economic Forum, which created the ‘networks readiness index’, ranks nations on policies, institutions and infrastructure to determine how ready they are for growth in the IT world. This index ranked Moldova 68th out of the 143 nations. There is a need for global equity in access to IT; we are here today, to provide gender equity here in Moldova through the UN Women’s forum. There is the need to not only provide skills that allow for access to the internet but to also provide the training in more technical aspects that will give young women the skills to compete in the IT job market. Currently, there is a digital divide in the number of women working in the IT field. There are also digital divides regarding the rural versus cities, social-economic, and ethnic factors. Different parameters need to be addressed to narrow the digital divide. One is access, which is affected
The EU has estimated that a million more IT workers will be needed by the year 2020 and there needs to be training of women in this field in order to fill this need. 8590 percent of all new jobs will require some form of IT skills in 2020. Today, men dominate the IT field in Moldova. One reason is the lack of child care for women in the work force. The IT field is constantly developing and women with small children often find it impossible to stay updated with the current technology. There are several ways to assist women in Moldova and other nations in accessing the IT world and to bridge the gender gap in IT. Women often find libraries to be a more comfortable public venue to access the digital world. The promotion of these venues is very important to addressing the access problem here in Moldova. It is not only important for women to learn IT skills but to also engage in the owning and operation of IT businesses. This could be accomplished with set-aside funding to promote female owned businesses. While general diversity is the goal, the emphasis should be placed on gender diversity to allow women to bridge the digital divide and to also bridge the wage gap, here in Moldova. Young women need to learn not only IT skills but also, aptitudes for leadership. This will be an enormous asset in the job market. It will also change the institutionalized and cultural attitudes that have stereotyped women in Moldovan society. Women in leadership and decision making roles help businesses with different views on their products and services from a woman’s perspective which can increase the economic viability of a company. It is important to use a holistic approach to solving the need to train more women in IT skills and leadership roles in Moldova and other parts of the world.
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VICTOR GUZUN THE EXAMBASSADOR OF MOLDOVA TO ESTONIA
(He spoke to the forum via Skype.) It is important to promote access to women in the IT world. Today, there is a growing need for IT workers and it provides an opportunity for more women to become involved in the workforce. Currently, only a small percentage of women work in the IT field. A typical example of one IT company; has 48 employees and only 8 are women. There are several steps that need to be taken to make the IT world more gender neutral. There are cultural fears that women are not able to succeed in the workplace from both men and women, which needs to be addressed. University classes should tailor IT learning towards women and provide scholarships. The government should create greater access to digital technology through partnerships with libraries and there should be a network of donors and companies to supply IT training.
I stress the need for everyone to work together and concentrate on human rights for women in Moldova, especially the Roma women and those in rural areas. We feel that Girls Go IT is a worthy program that will help instill equality for women in Moldova. The German government will be happy to continue its support of the UN Women program and keep its commitment to the HANNAH KLEINE- women of Moldova. IT projects will help KATTHOFER improve Moldova’s economy and make it a THE ATTACHE, modern European country. REPRESENTING THE GERMAN EMBASSY TO MOLDOVA
SIGNE BURGSTALLER THE AMBASSADOR FROM SWEDEN TO MOLDOVA
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I am pleased for the success of the young women who spoke earlier and the commitment put forth by the assembled panel. I see a bright future for the program and the women of Moldova. These programs will create the diversity needed in Moldova’s workforce. Sweden has placed a great deal of importance in their bilateral partnerships with Moldova and other countries on the promotion of women in all aspects of society. The Girls Go IT program is a very efficient way to accomplish gender diversity, provide good paying jobs, and to promote leadership roles for women. This will lead to empowerment of women in Moldovan society and government which will make Moldova better off economically.
VALENTINA BULIGA PRESIDENT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE FOR FOREIGN POLICY AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
We promise to continue to be a loyal partner in this initiative and I only wish that I was sixteen again, so I could benefit from the Girls Go IT program. I am proud that I was the Labor of Minister when this initiative began and I am sure the new government will continue to build on what we have started. Women are still an under-utilized resource and we need to tap into their talents. Our organization will continue with the proposed changes and we agree with Deputy Minister Tarlev’ points he made in his presentation. We will use the legal instruments available to us to implement the proposals developed by this discussion. Businesses, government and the civil society must work together to provide opportunities for young women, especially in rural areas. This will ensure progress not only for women but also for Moldova. I am sure that Moldova is on its way to becoming a prosperous European nation. I look forward to reading and studying the proposals developed from this discussion.
We are pleased with the Girls Go IT and recommended the program for boys and girls in both Moldova and Romania. We have set aside 50 million lei in the 2016 budget to promote and implement these types of programs. It is my hope that it may be possible for Moldova to develop its own IT product like Estonia did with Skype.
ANDREI SPINU THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORT
BORIS GILCA THE DEPUTY MINISTER FROM THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR, SOCIAL PROTECTION, AND FAMILY
The Moldovan government still has some work to do in order to provide equality for women. I acknowledge that more action is needed and not just words. I assure the forum members that training girls and women in IT skills will be part of the government’s strategic plan. We promise to address the needs of women in rural areas and to put safeguards in the labor codes that will protect women. There will also be some safeguards to help those with physical disabilities. The goal is to have at least five percent of the workforce consisting of persons with disabilities. This can be accomplished through better access to public institutions and public transportation. This will be good for the Moldovan economy, as it will allow people to work instead of receiving government aid. We thank the Swedish government for their help in working with the Moldovan government to create better gender equality in Moldova.
GENDER
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EQUALITY
NATALIA RUSU PROJECT OFFICER, COUNCIL OF EUROPE
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Moldova has made great progress in strengthening its human rights policies. The Council of Europe works with internet providers to raise awareness of human rights and to provide access to women and persons with special needs. We also, assist the internet providers with ways to provide personal data protection and fight cyber-crimes. Moldova has nearly reached 100% of its goal that is an acceptable level established by the Council of Europe.
CONSTANTIN RUSU GOVERNANCE ADVISOR, WORLD BANK
Our organization has a goal to provide gender equality by the year 2020. We support IT projects that place an emphasis on library access for introducing women to the IT world. The library projects have been a great success, with 52% of those benefitting from the program being women. We support programs that provide gender equality in Moldova.
SUCCESS STORY
Endava Moldova has worked with Girls Go IT by providing 20 personal computers for the training camp to teach young women and girls IT skills. This was about a two month process that involved shipping the units from various parts of Europe and getting the computers through customs. We also provided the training and presentations to the Girls Go IT camp. We feel this has been KUMAIL JETHA a great success story for the girls at the COUNTRY DIRECTOR, camp and also for Moldova as a country. The ENDAVA MOLDOVA teaching not only provided IT skills training but also, leadership training. This program was designed with a flexible schedule that will help women have access to IT training. I look for continued success in the Girls Go IT program.
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KRISTINA RADUCAN NATIONAL CONSULTANT, ROMA WOMEN
ANITA DUMITRIA PROGRAM MANAGER, CARITAS
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I thank the Girls Go IT summer camp for their opening the doors to IT training for women and especially, the Roma women, who my organization represents. The Roma women face double discrimination in gender and ethnicity. Girls Go IT has helped Roma girls and women by teaching them IT skills that will help them find good paying jobs. I would like to see the Girls Go IT program continue because it has helped many Roma women.
We support women in the IT field and those projects that train women in IT. During the last few years, our company has grown from a 10% female workforce to 37%, today. We like to support programs like Girls Go IT because it will help to meet the future demands of our business. We would also suggest that you look into projects involving young girls, starting in kindergarten, because we feel early intervention is very important. This would give them the mindset of looking to achieve at an earlier age.
NIKHIL GHAISAS PRESIDENT, AIESEC MOLDOVA
AIESEC Moldova promotes gender equality in Moldova by adhering to the gender code. We support training women in IT which will help create gender equality. There is value in learning IT skills abroad and bringing the skills back to Moldova. We need more students to learn IT skills.
ANGELICA PETROV LEADERSHE
JOB SKILLS
We have been working for five years in training young women from both rural and city areas. LeaderSHE provides mentors to young women to develop leadership skills and job skills. We support Girls Go IT today and also into the future.
ULZIISUREN JAMSRAN COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE, UN WOMEN IN MOLDOVA
I would use the word ‘wow’ in describing the discussion here, today. We have received good advice and recommendations and we will be putting these in a white paper to the newly formed government departments. A comprehensive, sustained approach from all the participants can be achieved. I did not realize until now how difficult it was to get the needed computers and training programs that made the Girls Go IT summer camp possible. I see the hard work and devotion that went in to making the camp possible. There are positive results from all the efforts. We have benefitted whole families in our endeavors. We need to have the media show how companies can benefit from programs like Girls Go IT. I think it is important to promote workers with disabilities and to provide earlier intervention in the IT training. The new government could provide an opportunity for this. They should realize that IT is definitely an area for job growth in Moldova. There is also, the need for policy changes that will assist women as well as men, who have child care responsibilities to have access to training and employment in the IT field. It is important for all of us to meet again and to keep pushing the agenda of women in IT. I will be contacting all of you with further instructions and input for the construction of the white paper.
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ABOUT GIRLSGOIT PROGRAM
GirlsGoIT is a multi-stakeholders Partnership of UN Women, eGovernment Center, Novateca and TEKEDU, to boost Moldova’s entrepreneurship and innovation capacity by investing and empowering girls and women to acquire digital and IT skills. GirlsGoIT launched a manifesto platform to facilitate Government, business, civil society and development partners commit to collaborate, cultivate and enhance girls’ digital skills, entrepreneurial mindset and startup potential. The platform will facilitate engagement, education and mentorship between Moldova Girls and Women and influential technology and business leaders, entrepreneurs and public sector innovators, nationally and globally. Sign the manifesto – www.girlsgoit.org
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GirlsGoIT organised a 2-week summer camp that gathered 38 girls including girls from Romani and disabled locomotive from 15 districts from Moldova was organized to teach them how to develop web based applications and build exciting projects for their communities. The camp curriculum was created to teach young women 21st century programming language such as Python, and also learn about Flask, HTML, CSS and Bootstrap. As an outcome of the camp, 6 social web projects was developed Moreover, the girls had the opportunity to meet many professionals from the industry and build a network.
LOCAL CHAPTERS’ CLUB – GIRLSGOIT IN COMMUNITIES
As a follow-up of the summer camp, GirlsGoIT has initiated a local chapter club to get more girls in rural communities to acquire entrepreneurship, digital and IT skills. Five (5) local chapters’ club has been created in Calarasi, Chisinau, Ungheni, Straseni and Salcuta. The creation of the local chapter club organised a conference in October 2015 and the participants of the summer camp were invited again to become ambassadors and lead GirlsGoIT in their communities. The conference equipped the ambassadors with tools and resources to kick-start local chapter club. Events and activities of the local chapter club will be organised in local public libraries. The creation of the local chapter conference was possible due to the support of the Department of State and the Embassy of United States in Moldova.
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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTER
US EMBASSY