Mangope, who is actively involved in empowering African women and girls with digital skills, said there is still much work to be done in equipping women and youth with the information, skills and enthusiasm they’ll need to be active participants in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“It’s no secret that women still lag behind men in digital and STEM-related fields with only one in three people who report profiting from new technologies being a woman,” said Mangope.
“This deprives them of crucial access to information, education and participation in the global digital economy. Coding teaches you important critical thinking skills and empowers you to leverage the immense power of exponential technologies in the service of solving some of the pervasive problems in the world around us. I am honoured to be part of one of Africa’s biggest digital skills development initiatives and look forward to working closely with SAP, UNESCO and Africa Code Week partners to inspire a new generation of African youth with 21st-century skills.”
Mangope is a Washington Fellow, broadcaster and entrepreneur. She is currently the anchor of “News Hour with Faith Mangope” on eNCA, and the founder of FTA Media Communications. She has been recognised as one of the Top 200 South Africans by the Mail & Guardian and a Top 100 Young South African by Independent Newspapers. Her latest endeavour is the Faith Mangope Technology and Leadership Institute, which aims to educate, empower and equip African women and youth with skills and insights aligned to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Since its inception in 2015, Africa Code Week has engaged more than 4.1 million youth in 37 countries and trained more than 50 000 teachers, making a lasting contribution to empowering the continent’s growing youth population with critical digital skills. The programme also enjoys the support of the German Development Corporation (BMZ), which through its #eSkills4Girls initiative has offered grants to 37 organisations who have introduced more than 26 000 women and girls to coding skills in 17 developing countries.
The 2019 Africa Code Week will take place in 37 countries during the month of October.
For more, go to www.africacodeweek.org.
