Despite the significant progress made in many areas of gender equality, women remain underrepresented in STEM, with only 28% of women currently holding positions in STEM jobs.

Earlier this year, Vodafone Ghana launched the latest edi­tion of its “Code Like a Girl”  initiative. It is a free coding pro­gramme for girls between the ages of 7 and 18 that aims to address this issue and empower more girls to pursue STEM education and careers.

The initiative will run for five weekends and provide an opportunity for girls to learn basic coding skills in a supportive and inclusive environment.

The virtual programme kicked off on April 1, with the aim to helping 1000 girls explore the world of coding.

They were introduced to programming languages such as Python and JavaScript, and worked collaboratively on coding challenges.

“Our programme aims to in­spire and empower girls to pursue their passions and develop the skills they need to succeed in the technology industry. We hope to promote gender equality in STEM by providing a safe and inclu­sive space for girls to learn and grow,” Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, Human Resource Director at Vodafone Ghana, said.