"The Women Techsters (WT) Program is a free digital skills-to-employability initiative empowering girls and women aged 10–40 from low-income and marginalized African communities with essential digital knowledge and skills to access dignified employment and entrepreneurship to enhance their pathways to financial freedom and economic prosperity. The key objective of the WT is to provide women from low-income communities' access to decent work opportunities through digital and soft skills trainings, mentorship, job matching and business incubation.

Key components of WT include Tech Girls Drive and Women Techsters Open Day, targeting young girls and women to raise technology career awareness. The Women Techsters Bootcamp offering a 3-week foundational tech training, while the Women Techsters Fellowship is a 1-year program with 6 months of intensive technical training and 6 months of practical experience through internships, freelancing, entrepreneurship, and mentorship. Advanced learners can access specialized Masterclasses.

Since inception, the program has expanded to 22 African countries, reaching 157,365 women with a 90% completion rate—20% above industry average—and 80% of graduates securing employment. In 2025, WT will scale to 30 countries, advancing its goal to upskill 5 million women by 2030 and significantly closing the gender gap in technology across Africa"

https://www.womentechsters.org/ 

• Africa

• Women
• The unemployed
• The poor
• Remote and rural communities

The Women Techsters Program has demonstrated a highly scalable and adaptable model for empowering women with digital skills and enhancing their access to economic opportunities. It is designed to address universal challenges women face in participating in the digital economy, making it well-suited for replication across diverse regions globally.
One of the program’s core strengths is its free, virtual learning model, which removes geographical and physical barriers, ensuring accessibility to women regardless of their location. This digital-first approach allows seamless expansion into new regions without the constraints of physical infrastructure, making it adaptable for both urban and rural communities worldwide.
The program’s rapid growth from a single country to 22 African countries in just five years highlights its scalability and effectiveness across diverse cultural, social, and economic landscapes. This expansion has created economic opportunities for 157,365 women, proving the model’s flexibility and relevance in various contexts.
A key driver of this growth is the program’s alumni network and give-back culture, fostering a self-sustaining cycle of growth. Over 30% of Program graduates return as instructors and mentors, expanding the program reach and impact. This network effect not only scales the program but also strengthens its community support system.
Additionally, the program’s success is evident in its high engagement and outcomes. With over 80,000 women applying annually, a 90% completion rate, and 80% of graduates securing employment in the tech industry, the program’s structure and methodology have proven effective and adaptable for broader implementation.
Given its digital delivery model, community driven support system, and strong out comes, the WT program is well positioned for replication globally offering a scalable solution to bridge gender gaps in tech and drive inclusive economic growth in any region seeking to empower women and expand digital inclusion

WT is built on a sustainable model designed to create long-term impact and continuous growth with sustainability driven by four key pillars below:
1. Digital-First Delivery Model: The program’s virtual learning platform ensures cost-efficiency and scalability. By eliminating the need for physical infrastructure, the program significantly reduces operational costs and environmental impact while maintaining accessibility for women across different regions. This approach allows for seamless updates and adaptability to emerging trends in technology, ensuring the program remains relevant and sustainable in the evolving digital economy.
2. Alumni Network and Give-Back Culture: A self-sustaining ecosystem has been created through a vibrant alumni network. Graduates of the WT often return as instructors, mentors, and advocates, helping to train new participants and expand outreach. This cycle of knowledge-sharing and mentorship reduces the need for external trainers and fosters long-term program continuity and strengthens community ownership & impact.
3. Strategic Partnerships and Funding Diversification: The program actively engages with corporate partners, development organizations, and government agencies to secure funding and expand its reach. These collaborations provide financial support, resources, and access to job placement opportunities for graduates. By these, the program minimizes dependency on single sources of funding, ensuring financial resilience and stability.
4. Economic Empowerment and Community Impact: By equipping women with in-demand digital skills, WT empowers participants to achieve economic independence. Graduates who secure employment or launch businesses contribute to their local economies, fostering wider community development. This ripple effect of economic empowerment ensures that the program’s impact is sustained beyond individual participants, influencing families and communities for generations. its self reinforcing structure, strategic partnership will continue to empower women

"The Women Techsters Program actively promotes the core values of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) by fostering digital inclusion, empowering women with critical ICT skills, and driving economic growth through technology. The program aligns with several WSIS Action Lines, including ALC3, ALC4, ALC5, and ALC7, in the following ways: ALC3: The program’s free and inclusive learning model ensures that women and girls, particularly from marginalized and low-income communities, have unrestricted access to digital knowledge and resources. By removing financial and geographical barriers, the program empowers participants to gain skills that open doors to better career and entrepreneurial opportunities, fostering economic self-reliance and social advancement. ALC4 – Capacity Building: Through structured technical and soft skills training, mentorship, and job placement support, the program builds participants' capacity to secure jobs and launch businesses. This leads to economic stability and sustainable livelihoods, enabling women to contribute meaningfully to their communities and local economies. The program's tailored learning paths ensure that women at different skill levels can advance and thrive in the digital economy. ALC5: The program equips women with both technical and soft skills, empowering them to confidently navigate and utilize various ICT tools and emerging technologies. By fostering digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness, participants develop the confidence to engage in the ICT sector safely and effectively. This empowerment encourages more women to actively participate in the tech space, breaking gender stereotypes and societal barriers. ALC7: By developing women's skills across multiple tech domains, the program enables participants to access and leverage ICT applications in diverse fields and enhances personal development, prepares them for the digital economy, allowing participants to contribute to innovation and problem-solving in their communities. "