Sisters of Code, a free coding club for girls, which is implemented by IT Academy STEP Cambodia and supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, is in the final for international competition Solve - MIT by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the category Learning for Girls and Women.
That is a really proud moment to see a Cambodian program be selected among the best in the world!
Now it is voting time for the community award!
Please vote here to support a Cambodian project!
What problem are we addressing?
According to Cambodia’s future jobs: linking to the economy of tomorrow. World Bank Group Technical Report 2019: Cambodian Labor force does not have the skills to attract higher-value FDI, nor they have the means to acquire those skills. 94% of jobs are in low-skilled occupations, with managers and professionals accounting for less than 5% of all jobs. At the same time, female workers make 75% of the labour force in Cambodia mostly working at low-skilled occupations. The advent of new technologies means that workers will require a more complex set of skills than in the past. According to the World Bank, increasing Cambodia’s productivity will be a major driver for the country to achieve its ambitious goal of graduating from a lower-middle-income economy to an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
A similar situation is in other developing countries. With women making around 50% of the population, we see a dramatic lack of women being represented in the jobs relevant for the digital economies. Such a situation should be changed and be addressed early - giving a chance to experience, learn basic skills, grow confidence and be able to make own decisions.
What is our solution?
Sisters of Code is the first and only female coding club in Cambodia. It is innovative as provides a real solution for female students to try learning coding skills. Since we are dealing with cultural stereotypes in the society, as well as limited opportunities in the regular schools, Sisters of Code brings a unique chance to join a supportive group, lead by real role models - female professionals working in IT, and learn skills through project-based activities. Sisters of Code is a unique program with proven success and the possibility to create a real impact both for the girls, and the industry. It is not just an educational program, but an empowerment instrument focused on developing a growth mindset, reaching beyond just its participants.