EQUALS Her Digital Skills

  • P Project/Program

A Active

Key Information

EQUALS Her Digital Skills was co-founded by ITU, GSMA, EY and W4, and it aims to design and provide access to free, gender transformative, digital skills training, e-skills badges, and mentoring for one million women and girls by 2026. The initiative brings together three EQUALS projects into one comprehensive program: Her Digital Skills workshops, EQUALS Badges, and e-mentoring.

The initiative includes the following programmatic elements:

  • Basic introduction to the technical knowledge & education needed for careers in technology through hands on digital skills workshops

  • Access to free, adapted (gender transformative) digital skills training through a committed online platform

  • An EQUALS qualification (“the Digital Badge”) which will boost women’s chances of pursuing further training/studies and access to formal employment in the ICT sector

  • An e-mentoring programme connecting established companies from among the tech and mobile industries to young women to increase interest, involvement, and awareness of the overall role of industry in bridging the gender gap in leadership

The overarching goal is to increase the talent pipeline of girls and young women in STEM/STEAM leading to employment and/or internship opportunities. To date, EQUALS Her Digital Skills has positively impacted the lives of thousands of girls and young women in more than 40 countries across 4 continents. 

Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Global

Activity URL

https://www.equalsintech.org/her-digital-skills

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

2021 -

Partner(s)

GSMA, EY, International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Women's WorldWide Web (W4)

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

Women's WorldWide Web (W4), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Verizon, Qualcomm

COVID-19 Response

Adapted

Geographic Scope

Global / regional

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Skills

  • STEM

Cross-cutting areas

  • Digital literacy
  • Empowerment
  • Gender equality
  • Mentorship
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls (both in school and out of school), Mothers, Other, Other community members - female, Sisters, Teachers - female

Age

16 - 25

School Enrolment Status

Other

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary
  • Upper secondary
  • Vocational
  • Tertiary

Other populations reached

Not applicable or unknown

Participants include

  • Adolescent mothers (pregnant or parenting)
  • Displaced/refugee - External (from other countries)
  • Displaced/refugee - Internal (from other areas of the same country)
  • Homeless/street children
  • Indigenous
  • Internal migrants (from other areas of the same country)
  • LGBTQ+
  • Migrants from other countries
  • Nomadic groups
  • Orphans and vulnerable children
  • Other
  • People living with HIV/AIDS
  • People with disabilities

Program Approaches Back to Top

Access to school

  • Alternative learning centers/mobile schools/home schools
  • Extending school hours
  • Improving transportation

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • Community mobilization
  • General awareness-raising/community engagement

Curriculum/learning

  • Gender-sensitive curricula
  • Increased availability of learning materials

Educational Technology

  • Computer-assisted learning
  • Digital devices for the purposes of studying, learning
  • Digital learning materials/programs
  • Digital reading materials (non-textbook)
  • Digital skills/literacy (including coding)
  • Online training

Increased availability of learning materials

  • Textbooks (digital)

Women's empowerment programs

  • Advocacy/action
  • Empowerment training
  • Leadership training

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Curricula, teaching and learning materials are free of gender-bias and stereotypes
  • Gender parity and non-discrimination are promoted at all subjects/education levels
  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Improved critical thinking
  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Teachers and learners have the knowledge and skills to promote gender equality

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Improved critical consciousness
  • Improved financial literacy and savings
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • Increased knowledge of rights
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced poverty/increase household well-being

Additional Information Back to Top

Primary Contact

Tamara Dancheva
EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age
Senior International Relations Manager
tdancheva@gsma.com
+447971179825