On March 8, 2023, Sisters of Code celebrates International Women's Day, which is an annual global holiday that serves as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
This year marked the 112th Anniversary of International Women's Day. The idea to create an International Women's Day originated in New York City in February 1908 to demand better working conditions since they were in less organized workplaces and the lower echelons of the garment industry as well as working at low wages and experiencing sexual harassment. Although International Women’s Day started with action from the women’s labor movement in the U.S., it took on a truly revolutionary form in Russia in 1917. This year, Russian women demanded — and gained — the right to vote.
In Cambodia, we also celebrate this special day every year to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is also a day used to highlight ongoing gender inequality and to call for further change.
Inequality also exists in the tech industry. According to our survey, 46% of girls told that they are not supported to study technology or even not allowed in many cases, and 27% mentioned that there are no other places for girls to study digital skills. For this reason, Sisters of Code, the first female coding club in Cambodia launched by IT Academy STEP Cambodia in early 2019, has been working very hard to empower and support female students through education to discover their full potential and grow a new generation of digital creators. We provide free after-school coding training for female students from 10 to 20 y.o to explore this field. During the 18 weeks program, female students meet every week with their trainers, females too, to learn the secrets of coding, work on projects and present their work in teams. Our impact is real - 96% of Sisters of Code graduates admitted that studying coding skills was a useful or a very useful experience for them and 100% of Sisters of Code graduates would recommend other girls to join the club.