Country-wide celebrations for International Women’s Day

VSO country activities are taking place around the world to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) and the United Nations observance of IWD under the theme DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.  

The activities celebrate women innovators in technology, address the digital gender gap in widening social and economic inequalities, explore issues of gender-based violence online and address the barriers that vulnerable and marginalized women and girls face in achieving gender equity. 

Read on for what’s happening and where! 

Bangladesh

Chosa Mweemba

VSO Bangladesh will be inviting women who are digital innovators to share their stories through presentations and discussions with community members, policymakers, partners and INGO’s such as ActionAid Bangladesh, Practical Action Bangladesh, Volunteer in Bangladesh, and the Ministry of Women Affairs. Activities include panel discussions, a digital innovation fair and an award ceremony for the best digital innovators. Discussions will also focus on the digital gender gap and protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces.  

Zambia

VSO volunteers in Zambia will lead a one-day commemoration event with ICS National Alumni, women and youth led organisations and technocrats from the Ministry of Community Development to explore issues of gender-based violence online, making the digital space accessible for vulnerable and marginalised communities of women and girls, explore intersectionality in sexual and reproductive health and rights programming for women and girls, and recognising women’s achievements in the digital space.  

Kenya

VSO Kenya in partnership with the youth organization, Youth for Sustainable Development in Taita Taveta country, will host an event which celebrates the achievements of women in technology, explores the challenges faced by women in tech whilst providing opportunities for women in the tech industry. The event will bring together women in tech, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers to focus on four key areas: 

• Skills development: including workshops and training sessions for women on tech skills.  
• Entrepreneurship: Talks by successful women entrepreneurs in tech and sessions on funding opportunities and mentorship programs.  
• Leadership: Talks and panel discussions on leadership and career advancement 
• Diversity and Inclusion: Discussions on how to create a more inclusive workplace and how to increase the representation of women and underrepresented groups in tech.

Eswatini

The team will conduct a series of empowerment sessions in a rural part of Eswatini to help local women to enhance their IT skills and use these skills to grow their businesses. The sessions will also include discussions on gender equality, gender-based violence and violence from an intimate partner.  

Returned volunteers, community-based organisations and young women from the community will be facilitating the sessions.  

Tanzania

In most Tanzania communities marginalised rural women are being excluded in accessing digital and innovation opportunities that will assist in uplift their economic and social empowerment. For International Women’s Day, volunteers in Dodoma rural Tanzania will organize a community dialogue on the inclusion of rural women in digital innovation and the digital gap for rural women and girls. The output will be an action plan for achieving digital inclusion for rural women and girls in Domona rural Tanzania.

Nigeria 

According to a youth survey report issued by the National Bureau of Statistics, in Nigeria young men are almost twice as likely to have a career in computer science and technology-related fields as women. VSO Nigeria is hosting an event over two days, featuring panel discussions, spoken word and musical performances, which will bring together women and girls in technology and stakeholders to explore the digital gender gap, highlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces, and to celebrate women and girls who are taking the lead in advancing transformative technology.