Equipping young girls with ICT skills bridges the gender gap: Saron Mesele shares her experience

At 23, she is working to specialize on cybersecurity initiatives that aim to protect the digital space from cyberbullying, harassment, and technology facilitated gender-based violence.  Saron participated in a coding camp in 2020 under the African Girls Can Code initiative (AGCCI), a program run by UN Women in collaboration with the African Union and the International Telecommunication Union. The initiative trains girls and young women to become programmers, creators and designers directing them to pursue ICT as their careers. 

“I was selected to join the INSA’s Cyber Talent Center based on my outstanding academic performance, technical skills, and a demonstrated passion for cybersecurity,” said an excited Saron, not only for her individual achievements but also for being equipped to give back to her community and country. Saron supports other girls in ICT and in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through organizing digital literacy workshops in schools and communities. “Seeing a young girl’s eyes light up when she writes her first line of code or understands how cybersecurity works especially in areas where access to technology is still a luxury is the kind of impact that drives me and I’m proud of.” Saron is among the few young women pioneers in the country actively lobbying for inclusive tech spaces to push for gender-sensitive policies.

From Saron’s perspective, the two-week-long camp helped her to identify her potential and gave her the foundation to pursue a career in ICT.  “When I joined the camp, I was in grade 12, standing at the crossroads of my future career with a passion for technology. The camp is a turning point which changed my passion into a clear purpose,” said Saron who is in her final year to graduate as a Computer Science and Engineering expert from Adama Science and Technology University in Ethiopia. She is also engaged as an apprentice at the Information Network Security Administration (INSA) of Ethiopia working on cybersecurity initiatives, which she refers to as a critical area to protect digital spaces from unauthorized access and misuse. “Growing up as a girl, I often encountered cultural and societal expectations that discouraged me from exploring technical fields.  Access to resources and mentorship on ICT was limited in the early stages of my journey. In the field of cybersecurity, largely male-dominated, I was sometimes underestimated or not taken seriously. There were times when I felt like I had to prove myself twice as much to earn the same level of recognition or respect as male counterparts,” said Saron on the implication of the gender gap in ICT.

Comprehensive training on ICT contributes to bridge gender digital gap

Saron confirms from her own experience that skill acquisition through education and training along self-discipline are key tools in reducing the gender digital gap for women and girls, “The most important factor that helped me get to where I am today is a combination of access to the right opportunities, self-discipline and a strong support system.  My personal determination to learn ICT kept me going even when things were difficult. I didn’t wait for perfect conditions; I learned more on ICT from free resources and consistent practice. AGCCI and INSA gave me the right platforms to sharpen my skills.  It is about what we do with the support we are given, and how we turn challenges into growth.”