Senegalese women challenge boundaries through coding
DAKAR:
Youma Fall used to set her school books aside for her younger siblings. Then she realized the books could be put to use in other ways in a country where many students struggle to own even pencils and pens. Nearly a decade later, the 24-year-old is bringing her idea to life through a program in Senegal that encourages young women in coding and technology. She is developing a mobile phone application that will allow teachers, parents and students to swap books and supplies. It’s called WECCIO, or “exchange” in the local Wolof language.
“When I finish this, I truly hope that no child has to say they don’t understand something because they didn’t have a book to study,” said Fall, a design engineering graduate. She and a new community of young women in this largely Muslim West African country are pushing cultural and gender boundaries, using coding and entrepreneurial skills to enter a booming mobile technology movement traditionally led by men. Mobile phones are central to online life in Senegal. Nearly 95 percent of Internet connections in the country occur via mobile phones, according to research by the Regulation Authority of Posts and Telecommunications of Senegal. But less than 30 percent of girls in Senegal have chosen to study science and technology fields, such as mathematics, physics or engineering, said Bitilokho Ndiaye, gender adviser at the ministry for posts and telecommunications. Ndiaye has made it her mission to help Senegal enforce its gender-equal policies in technology, and to create career opportunities for young women. “Often, people are tempted to think that the girls are not able to do certain professions. This is due to the sexual division of labor, and its history and culture,” she said. Ndiaye helped to create the coding and tech community for young women, called Jiggen Ci TIC, or “Women in Technology” in Wolof, whose partners include UNESCO and telecom provider Sonatel. There are training opportunities across Senegal throughout the year, including an intensive month-long session that leads to a weekend competition in which teams of girls present mobile apps to address pressing local issues. More than 100 young women participate. The program chooses the three best projects, financing their development. The other girls also receive leadership and entrepreneurial training, with mentoring and support to help complete their projects.