Huawei Technologies, a leading provider of information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, has partnered with the National Council for Women (NCW) to launch the “Women in Technology” initiative on 6 September 2023.
The initiative aims to support and empower Egyptian women and girls and increase their presence in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
The initiative is part of Huawei’s global efforts to promote gender equality and digital inclusion, as well as the NCW’s mandate to implement the National Strategy for Empowering Egyptian Women 2030, which defines women’s empowerment based on five elements: self-appreciation, choice, access, voice, and agency. The strategy also aligns with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
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Three programmes for women in technology
The initiative consists of three main programmes: Technology for Her, Technology with Her, and Technology by Her. Each programme offers various training opportunities for women, whether they are specialists or non-specialists, to help them explore new fields and create job opportunities in the information technology sector.
Technology for Her: This programme targets female students in secondary schools and universities who are interested in pursuing a career in ICT. It provides them with online courses, workshops, mentorship, internships, and scholarships to enhance their knowledge and skills in ICT fields such as AI, data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and 5G.
Technology with Her: This programme targets female professionals who are already working in ICT or related sectors. It provides them with advanced training, certification, networking, and career development opportunities to help them advance their careers and become leaders in their fields.
Technology by Her: This programme targets female entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas or projects in ICT or related sectors. It provides them with business training, incubation, funding, and market access opportunities to help them launch and grow their businesses.
Selected trainees will receive training and certification from Huawei in cooperation with the NCW, and will then encourage other women to pursue training and find job opportunities in the information technology sector.
Partners’ statements
MaBen, board member and Managing Director of the Public Affairs and Communication Department at Huawei Egypt, said: “Huawei is committed to empowering women in the ICT sector and enabling them to develop new skills rapidly. We are pleased to collaborate with the National Council for Women to launch this initiative, which supports digital transformation, increases job opportunities for women in the communications and information technology sector, and encourages their participation in the digital economy.”
Maya Morsy, Chairperson of the NCW, expressed her delight at partnering with Huawei, a leader in the field of information and communications technology. She praised the company’s support for the initiative, which is the first of its kind. Morsi also emphasized the importance of empowering women in the information and communications technology sector in Egypt. This contributes to raising awareness about the technological opportunities available to women by providing awareness campaigns, training, and building digital capabilities. She expressed her hope that the training would reach a large number of women across different governorates.
Asmaa Serageldin, Executive Director of Huawei ICT Academy Egypt, said that the initiative offers opportunities for women and girls from all over the country to receive intensive online training. This training aims to prepare a generation specialized in modern technologies such as AI, data science, and cloud computing. These skills will qualify them for numerous job opportunities and help empower girls. The cooperative effort aims to train 2,000 women throughout the republic within two years.
Angy El Yamany, Director of Financial Inclusion National Program at NCW, explained that after the launch of the initiative, the first batch of women trained by certified trainers from Huawei Academies came forward, with a total of 1,700 women and more than 200 women trained within two weeks. She emphasized that training is ongoing to empower a larger number of promising girls in the field of technology.
MoU signing
A MoU was signed between Huawei and the NCW to donate 100 laptops to facilitate training areas. The MoU was signed by MaBen, Board Member and Managing Director of the Public Affairs and Communication Department at Huawei Egypt, and Iman Khalifa, Secretary General of the NCW, in the presence of a large number of Huawei representatives and members of the NCW.