Internet Society NGO

4/19/2018

CIS, Armenia, Armenia

26 participants

On April 26, 2018, Internet Society NGO for the first time joined the celebration of "Girls in ICT Day" and hosted a round-table discussion. Before the main meeting, in cooperation with the Wikimedia Armenia, Internet Society NGO held a workshop with girls, where the participants got acquainted with the Wiki ideology and basic tools for editing Wiki projects as well as tried to write their first Wiki articles.

The main round table discussion was held at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University. The speakers representing various stakeholder groups and interests (business, culture, philanthropy, self-education, remote working) gathered to talk about the innovative opportunities provided by the Internet, to discover new platforms and new boundaries. The event was an opportunity for participants to interact with those who had already made tangible progress in IT industry. The speakers told their own stories about career growth in an informal and warm environment. Those who couldn't attend the event in person, there was an opportunity to join remotely. The speakers mentioned that they couldn`t imagine their lives without Internet as it had already become a lifestyle for them. Especially they highlighted that technology was the future and every girl had huge potential.

Participants left their testimonies on the meeting. Many of them noted that it was a meaningful, educating, motivating and impressive event, as well as it would help them change attitudes and empower them to reach their full potential in Information and Communication Technologies.

We can note that it was a gender party, the aim of which was to create a world where every woman and girl can create the kind of life she wishes to lead, unconstrained by harmful norms and stereotypes. We believe a world where women are economically empowered will be a fairer, happier and more prosperous place to live!