NAIROBI, Kenya – In celebration of the International Day for Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS), Huawei Kenya hosted its UniTech Talk event, focusing on equipping women with skills in technology and advancing their role in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The forum aimed to foster mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and relationship-building between industry professionals and young women pursuing STEM-related courses in higher learning institutions.
National Youth Council CEO Gloria Wawira encouraged young women to embrace STEM as a tool for solving real-world challenges.
She emphasized the need to break gender stereotypes that limit access to STEM fields and called for stronger mentorship and leadership support.
“The young people hold the power to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” she said. “Whether it’s artificial intelligence, robotics, medicine, environmental sustainability, coding, or data analysis, there’s a space for every interest and every strength in STEM.”
Harriet Chiggai, the President’s Advisor on Women’s Rights, stressed the urgency of accelerating youth and women’s inclusion in STEM and highlighted the role of public-private partnerships in promoting gender equality and innovation.
Speakers at the event also discussed initiatives such as the Huawei ICT Competition, DigiTruck, and University Career Fair Platforms, aimed at inspiring more young women to join the tech industry.
Nearly 3,000 students participated in this year’s Huawei ICT Competition, with approximately 960 (32 percent) being girls.
Five girls have advanced to the Regional Finals in South Africa, scheduled for March 2025.
