Equipping girls with essential skills for a bright digital future
On World Youth Skills Day, we look at the AI Skills Accelerator for Girls project in collaboration with EY, just one example of our work to equip young people with the digital skills necessary to thrive in the modern workforce.
Equipping girls with essential skills for a bright digital future through the AI Skills Accelerator for Girls, a project in collaboration with EY
“The workshop was truly gratifying and extremely helpful. It will foster significant projects for women, as well as understanding and support that could make a real impact in Paraguay,” said Lorena Jiménez, a student in the Engineering and Business Information Technology program at the Paraguayan-German University.
She participated in one of two Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshops in Asunción, Paraguay. The workshop was held as part of a two-year AI Skills Accelerator for Girls project, a collaboration with EY, to improve digital skills for girls and women on the latest trends in technology for artificial intelligence.
The project enables girls and young women, particularly from marginalized, underserved communities, to learn AI skills and to be part of a dynamic community of young women in AI.
Over the course of the two-year project, a minimum of 24 workshops in 12 countries will train at least 1000 girls and young women.
In the first cohort from 2024-2025, a total of 13 workshops engaged over 470 participants.
Workshops were held in:
- Paraguay in October 2024 supported by CONATEL and Ministerio de la Mujer;
- Malta in October 2024 together with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority;
- Kenya in November 2024 in collaboration with Women’s World Wide Web (W4);
- India in January 2025 with the support of the Centre for Development of Telematics and the ITU Innovation Centre;
- Kazakhstan in February 2025 with the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, and Astana Hub;
- and Jordan in February 2025 supported by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship.
The programme content, co-developed by the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) and EY, combines technical knowledge with a focus on real-world applications. EY professionals volunteered as trainers, providing engaging sessions in multiple countries, while BDT led the coordination with local partners, ensuring inclusive participation and seamless implementation.
Workshops covered key topics such as: an introduction to AI and its basics; neural networks, speech, image, and video activities; an overview of Large Language Models including ChatGPT and prompt design; ethics in AI focusing on bias, privacy, and deepfakes; cyber safety including risks and protection strategies; and entrepreneurship with a focus on ideation and solutions.
The impact of these training sessions has been significant: according to survey results, participants’ knowledge of technological concepts improved, their confidence in pursuing further studies or a career in technology increased, and most of the participants said that they tried something new during the workshop.
This is an ITU Development #DigitalImpactUnlocked story
About the AI Skills Accelerator for Girls project
The project provides girls and women with the necessary digital, ethical, and managerial skills to become content creators, and to boost creativity and innovation in solving challenges at the community level using AI. It aims to address the challenge of ensuring girls’ and women’s access to the latest and emerging trends in technology.
The second cohort will be engaged from 2025-2026.
For more information, visit this page.
World Youth Skills Day, held annually on 15 July, celebrates the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. The theme for 2025 is ‘Youth empowerment through AI and digital skills’.
