- With the support of UNICEF and fund by the German Government, LLWB organized the 7th edition of Girls Got IT in Riyak- Zahle
- To date, 2700 females were taught about STEM across the country
November 2018 – Females in Lebanon make up around 50% of its total population and many in rural areas they do not get the chance to be exposed and learn about sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), to increase their involvement in those fields of work. Through Girls Got IT, a joint initiative between five Lebanese NGOs, led by Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB) in collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), supported by UNICEF, and funded by the German Government (KFW), girls from different regions around Lebanon are gathered and introduced to the realm of STEM.
Throughout the years ‘Girls Got IT’ has successfully organized 6 events across Lebanon, schools, inspired 2700 young females from all over the country and trained them on the upcoming digital future and how they can take part in all the latest fields in STEM. In its 7th edition, ‘Girls Got IT’ moved to the Antonine University in Zahle Campus, where prominent entrepreneurs and innovators like Hassane Slaibi, CEO and co-founder of Band Industries, and Haneen Elsayed, Human Development Economist at World Bank, passed on their experience and encouraged the young females to follow their dreams and be part of the field of their interest. They allowed them to believe that they can tap into any of those fields and achieve accordingly.
“The stories we hear from the young girls we have empowered are what always drive us forward to do more for them and make sure we reach out to every young female around the country,” said Ms. Asmahan Zein, president of the Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB).
“For UNICEF, girl empowerment through education is essential. In the current digital economy, digital skills and literacy are important for girls to be able to position themselves in the job markets. Girls Got IT has been successfully sensitizing the girls on the importance of the digital skills to employability, and to their career choices specifically if they want to step into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” said Tanya Chapuisat, UNICEF Lebanon Representative. She also confirmed that: “‘Girls Got IT’ has been successfully doing this for the past 3 years. And we continue to support this initiative and take part in the positive snowball effect it has been creating in different areas around Lebanon.”
‘Girls Got IT’ is a joint initiative between five Lebanese NGOs, led by LLWB and in collaboration with Arab Women in Computing (ArabWIC), Women in Technology (WIT), Women in Engineering (WIE) and Digital Opportunity trust (DOT), to grant female students in Lebanon the experience of testing the latest innovations in technology. Girls Got IT will continue to advocate for knowledge and push young girls to their limits to achieve their dreams.
For more information, visit https://www.girlsgotit.org/