BACKGROUND
The digital revolution offers endless opportunities, and it is radically transforming old power structures. But the world of technology is still very much a boy’s club. Few girls grow up seeing tech as a viable career opportunity or even a hobby. Even fewer women stay in the industry, let alone reach leadership positions. A vast majority of all tech startups are run by men, and men receive the bulk of all money invested in digital development.
This is a global issue and not only one for women and girls. Tech companies around the world are missing out on talent and struggling with diversity issues. And society as a whole will be missing out if the new digital worlds that we build are created exclusively by boys and men.
OUR APPROACH
We believe there is no more powerful catalyst for change than a strong idea in the hands of a passionate entrepreneur. But we also know that entrepreneurs dedicated to change the status quo need support.
In the Reach for Change network, there are a number of smart and passionate women dedicated to overcome the digital divide and/or to integrate digital strategies into their social innovation. Female social entrepreneurs and innovators around the world – from Denmark to Ethiopia – not only inspire other girls by being brave digital leaders and role models but several of them also have developed innovative methods to break digital barriers for other girls and women.
THE PROGRAM
A 12 month scaling and development program designed to empower female entrepreneurs to break structural gender barriers, gain from digital solutions and scale social impact. The program is built around mutual learning with social entrepreneurs and female leaders in partner organisations.
A few key components in the program are:
- Scaling boot-camp. An intense training and exchange session focused on scaling
- Collaborative problem-solving. Entrepreneurs team up within the global network and female leaders to jointly problem solve, strategize and share experiences around challenges and success factors in breaking break gender barriers and embracing digital solutions.
- SDG 5 summit. Public event focused on how we can enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
WHY PARTNER?
Reach for Change is looking for partners who are interested in promoting gender diversity in the tech field and who can contribute to the implementation of the program. Beyond clear and measurable social impact on children as a result of scaled solutions, the program provides opportunities for:
- Awarding and promoting key female talent in your organisation: Our tailored program will not only support our entrepreneurs, but will act as a catalyst for key female talent to be able to grow, develop and be exposed to innovation and new thinking in the field through our entrepreneurs.
- Employer branding (attracting and retaining female talent), in the long term by breaking barriers for the next generation of female tech entrepreneurs. In the short term by providing attractive opportunities for female co-workers to support other female entrepreneurs.
- Broadened network among female leaders and tech talent.
- Capacity building around gender diversity and social innovation by learning from innovative social entrepreneurs who have identified success factors for bringing disruptive change and social impact.
- Strengthened corporate image by showing genuine commitment to gender diversity and equal opportunities.
DigiPippi is an organization that through workshops, clubs and female role models promote tech to girls by using their own interests. Girls learn about women who have made a career within the IT world, which will help them identify with these role models who share their interest. Through its community chats, forums, and offline social events, the girls will be able to live out, develop, and expand their interest for IT with like-minded peers.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: To increase potential by gaining more knowledge, a better network and meeting female mentors.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: Specific knowledge about tools to bridge the gender divide, public speaking, creating awareness on the cause, and experience with boards and volunteers
Peppy Pals is an award-winning organization developing fun, educational games and books that nurture children's Emotional Intelligence (EQ). It is a unique way of learning and experiencing emotions, empathy, collaboration and friendship without ”right or wrong.’’
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: Recently we managed to get investment from LEGO to learn more about leadership and scaling the team. we will enter to a new phase of hiring more people and scale globally. We need advisors and a global network to develop our technology and leadership skills.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: Find ways to finance the organisation with "soft" grants, network of investors, how to pitch for investors, how to motivate the team, how to create a viral product and get traction etc.
The Ghana Code Club connects elementary school children to computer science activities in their schools. It provides clubs for children between the ages of 8-16 to gain basic computing skills while learning to make their own games, animations and websites. The Ghana Code Club places an emphasis on programs for girls in an effort to close the digital gender gap.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: I work to empower girls and young women to overcome gender barriers in tech, getting exposed to such a program will help me to scale up to reach more girls.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A:The experience with other change leaders to inspire them to reach out for more collaborators and partners to scale their impact.
Josephine founded Young at Heart Ghana to improve education in rural areas in Ghana. Her solution makes use of technology to improve the learning experience of children in rural schools by empowering them with basic computer skills, setting up ICT learning hubs equipped with computers and educational software and encouraging the use of these facilities for distant learning tutorials.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: Young At Heart Ghana, is at a point where it seeks to scale up and increase the impact of our e-learning application (Ananse The Teacher App). I want to interact with industry players and colleagues, who would offer a wealth of insight and experience to contribute to this process.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: Experience about leading organization to migrate from operating exclusively through physical engagements. Some insights about information systems space and a proven approach to adapting digital solutions to addressing social concerns or processes.
The online platform - loveguide.bg - is one solution for educating young people about safe and fun sex. They can find anything from love and relationships to sex and sexual health. The website strives to provide information that is reliable, friendly, positive, simple, open, and honest. After the site launched in December 2015, it has reached more than 26.000 teenagers as of August 2018. Besides online education, Loveguide hosts offline seminars, presentations, and training. So far, the organization has met almost 4.000 young people face-to-face from all around the country.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: To acquire new know-how and skills to take Loveguide's digital solution to the next level. Also help to complete business model to build financial sustainability.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: Experience of creating and sustain a loyal and organically growing online community, creating compelling content across different channels (mainly online); digital content marketing; online campaigns; effective work with all kinds of media, building trust and good relationship with target groups, different cooperation and etc.
The mobile application "Emotions. Autism" is designed to develop the skills of recognition and expression of emotions in children with ASD. The application teaches the child to look at the parts of the face that are significant for the recognition of emotions and to identify emotions (joy, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, fear) these emotions, to recognize emotions on different faces.The application is designed in such a way that a child with autism accompanied by a parent could use it at home.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: We think that participation in BRIDGIT Program help us to choose effective business strategy and gain financial sustainability.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: Our experience as a developmental psychologists, especially in teaching children with ASD emotional and social skills. Some specific knowledge about designing for mobile application and other learning tools and how to implement digital solutions in schools where staff members have low digital competencies and skills.
IT solution for children rights with deafness.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: We continue to encounter mistrust and disregard from the old "expert" community. Our projects are innovative and complex, but in addition to the objective difficulties in their implementation, and we need tips for that. We also have to overcome stereotypes and prejudices.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: The knowledge of using scientific researches to change the ingrained attitude and gradually the system as a whole. For example, the attitude to the sign language of the deaf and the formation of an accessible environment for people with impaired hearing.
OmniTech is a training center that provides interactive, practical and real time training in programming and coding. The centre promotes skills in software and mobile app development among youth - especially girls - to bring about quality products to the world and fill the digital gap, while solving real world problems.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: I face a lot of challenges in my effort of trying to narrow the gender gap in Technology. I believe by participating in this program I’ll be able to learn from other CLs who had to pass through different challenges and also get expert advisory support that will help me continue forward..
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: Knowledge in my field of work which is on reducing the gender gap in the Digital world by exposing young girls towards Technology and building their confidence at a young age. And my experience on the importance of such extra-curricula activities at schools.
The Jenga Hub specially designed to encourage digital literacy and foster innovation through collaboration, coupled with developing a digital curriculum.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: Interact with my fellow peers from the across the world, build up network and important relationships with them. To learn from each others best practices, carve new ideas and scale the positive impact through technology that we collectively can achieve, while bridging the technology divide and get more girls and women on boarded in technology for impact.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: To share insights on my journey in technology and knowledge reform based on my experiences of setting up and running The Jenga Hub.
Give kids a voice is a digital platform that allows children to recognize, evaluate and report the internet content that they use.
Q: Why do you want to participate in BRIDGIT?
A: Learn about extended network development, collaboration with other change leaders, corporate experts and mentors will support me on digital platform development, testing and sharing best practice. Grant would be used for platform technical development. Inspiration and motivation for building sustainability for my project.
Q: What do you hope to share with the other CLs?
A: The knowledge and experience in business process excellence development. Espeically for building business operations sustainability (LEAN, LEAN6Sigma, AGILE methodologies), distinct customer meeting quality. Also knowledge about analytical skills and visionary enthusiasm.
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