International Girls in ICT Day

International Girls in ICT Day History

International Girls in ICT Day aims to inspire and empower girls and young women around the world to consider careers in the rapidly growing field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This observance highlights the need to promote girls' and women's participation in ICT, not just as users, but as developers, creators, and leaders. The day also serves an opportunity to create a global environment that encourages, educates, and inspires girls and young women to pursue technology-related studies and careers.

Established in 2010 by ITU, International Girls in ICT Day has since become an important platform to address the worldwide gender digital divide. In South Africa, women remain significantly under-represented in the ICT sector, despite several interventions. The observance of Girls in ICT Day remains vital to encouraging more girls to choose ICT as a career path, thereby enhancing diversity in the sector. It is an opportunity to showcase the potential of digital technologies for development and the role that women and girls play in advancing South Africa's digital economy.

International Girls in ICT Day is marked in South Africa through numerous activities, from seminars and workshops to competitions and panel discussions. These activities aim at igniting interest in ICT and providing mentorship to girls and young women who aspire to join the sector. The South African Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services has previously involved girls from rural areas in these events, highlighting ICT’s potential for social transformation. International Girls in ICT Day is observed annually on the fourth Thursday in April.

Top 10 Facts for 2026 International Girls in ICT Day in South Africa

• The upcoming International Girls in ICT Day on April 23, 2026, will be centered on the theme AI for Development: Girls Shaping the digital future, a topic expected to drive significant interest as South Africa intensifies its focus on national artificial intelligence policy.
• Recent data from the 2024 IITPSA ICT Skills Survey reveals a stark gender gap in the local talent pipeline, showing that women constitute only 13% of STEM graduates in South Africa compared to a global average of 35%.
• While female representation in the broader South African ICT workforce has grown to approximately 46%, the 25th Commission for Employment Equity Report highlights that many of these roles remain in semi-skilled areas rather than technical leadership.
• Research indicates a "glass ceiling" in the local tech sector, with women holding only 5% of CEO positions in South African ICT companies, a figure significantly lower than the 22.5% seen in the United States.
• Local non-profit organizations such as GirlCode are gaining massive traction with ambitious goals to empower 10 million women and girls with tech skills by 2030 through initiatives like the GirlCoder Club and specialized coding bootcamps.
• The "digital divide" remains a critical search topic in South Africa, as current statistics show that only 21% of public schools have internet access specifically for teaching and learning purposes, hindering the development of early digital literacy for girls in rural areas.
• Specialized career accelerators like RedAcademy are becoming popular for their "skills integration as a service" model, which helps South African matriculants transition into junior software engineering roles in just six months regardless of their prior coding knowledge.
• The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is increasingly advocating for "new-collar" jobs that prioritize practical technical skills over traditional university degrees to help young South African women enter the digital economy faster.
• Innovation hubs such as WomHub are driving economic empowerment through programs like the Female Funding Fit Programme, which provides catalytic funding and mentorship to female founders of tech-enabled businesses across South Africa.
• The National ICT Policy Colloquium recently emphasized that bridging the gender gap is essential for the success of the South African National AI Policy Framework, positioning the upcoming observance as a pivotal moment for policy announcements.

In the News and Trending in South Africa for International Girls in ICT Day

Top things to do in South Africa for International Girls in ICT Day

• Discover events around you. The International Telecommunication Union hosts events around the world so be sure to check for any upcoming ones.
• Listen to a podcast with the founder of the Women in Science International League Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite.
• Watch a Documentary to learn more about Girls in ICT in South Africa:
  Code: Debugging the Gender Gap - It is a documentary that explores the reasons for the gender and minority hiring gap in the tech industry. It includes conversations with students, educators and entrepreneurs from across the globe, including South Africa.
• Attend Tech Workshops & Seminars: Many universities, tech companies, and organizations would hold workshops or seminars, focused on ICT. Girls and young women could attend these to learn from seasoned ICT professionals.