The return on investments in girls’ education and training is well-documented [10] and dramatic. An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%. An extra year of secondary school results in a 15-25% increase. For international development organizations like IREX, dedicated to practical initiatives with clear impact, that makes the mandate pretty clear: create opportunities that further girls’ education and training.
For IREX, addressing the education and training gap specifically within ICT is of particular urgency. Economic growth and job opportunities within the ICT industry are consistently among the highest with the best pay and robust long-term prospects for professional growth, particularly for young tech professionals. And yet, disturbingly, the interest among girls’ in technology and science is declining [11]in the US and around the world. Without intervention, the inevitable result of this trend is a declining participation of girls in the industry with the strongest potential for growth.
Programs like Tech Age Girls [12]address the systemic underrepresentation of women in the IT field and promote the online presence of girls’ voices in local languages. TAG participants discover new abilities, develop professional skills, and gain the confidence and inspiration necessary to become leaders in their communities. The program provides training, support, and encouragement to a competitively selected cadre of socially active young women, ultimately promoting an expanded role for women in their communities and in the IT field. TAG equips young women with technical and professional skills, leadership training, and the confidence to become leaders in their communities. To date IREX has trained over 1000 young women through TAG.