Manama: Zain Bahrain, a leading telecommunications operator in the Kingdom, invites young girls to join their ‘Girls for Tech’ initiative (5th batch) which will inspire and encourage them to build their technology-related skills and increase access to hands-on, immersive STEM learning experiences. Through this initiative, girls aged 8-14 years can collaborate with their peers and learn to code and create fun interactive games and stories in a virtual setting conducted by motivating instructors. The ‘Girls for Tech’ initiative was launched in 2019 in collaboration with the Supreme Council for Women and Zain Telecom, powered by Clever Play, focusing on quality education and gender equality through exposure to technology early in life.
Zain Bahrain believes that “If you have a skill, foster it and let it become your craft” and has accordingly created the initiative that heightens Bahraini girls’ interest in technology. The initiative also aligns with Zain Bahrain’s commitment to helping achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 – Gender Equality, SDG 4 – Quality Education, and SDG 8 for Decent Work and Economic Growth by teaching coding and basic robotics. It also aims to develop critical thinking skills and dialogue while encouraging the participating girls to recognize the value of creativity and innovation as a means to solve current and future problems.
“The tech sector is one of the most important growth sectors and is a promising field for young girls to pursue. We believe Girls for Tech promotes education, employment, and entrepreneurship in the future for women in the digital economy. We have always believed in equality and this initiative is dedicated to attracting, supporting, and promoting women in ICT and providing them with equal opportunities in the sector through education and experiences,” Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Director, Communications and Investor Relations at Zain Bahrain, said.
Girls joining the program will have an opportunity to learn how to create websites, code games, and build meaningful projects using codes in addition to learning to apply computer science to real-life problem-solving. The program is free of cost and will consist of a total of 6 sessions; 2 sessions will take place simultaneously in Breakout Rooms on Zoom with two instructors and 5 participants each. Sessions will take place once a week for 2 hours per session. Participants are free to choose between morning, afternoon, or evening sessions depending on their availability.
Zain Bahrain invites participants from local schools intending to teach them core STEM skills as well as expose them to mentors in the technology sectors.
