The Tech Girls Movement Foundation's (TGMF) vision is of a society in which women can confidently contribute to their communities and the economy through STEM entrepreneurship and leadership.

The Techgirls Competition actively challenges negative gender perceptions which limit girls’ participation in STEM through school-based programs for girls aged 7-17. The Competition does this by highlighting the fundamental value of technological innovation and the vital roles that women play in this, both historically and into the future.

The flagship project of the TGMF, the Techgirls Competition, is held annually across Australia and New Zealand, the 12 week program invites teams of schoolgirls to solve real-world problems through ICTs. Each team is matched with a female STEM industry expert who mentors them through the program. In addition, gender stereotypes are challenged via a series of books titled ‘Tech Girls are Superheroes’. These are produced and distributed in every primary and secondary school in Australia (9 966 schools) and engagingly present real-life women in STEM as superheroes changing the world for the better. To boost skills, a series of workshops are delivered to girls on coding, robotics, and entrepreneurship, and professional development workshops for teachers to explore more effective delivery of the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum.

https://www.techgirlsmovement.org/competition/about

• Australia
• New Zealand

• Youth
• Women

The Techgirls competition began with 16 schoolgirls in 2014 and now attracts 10 000 participants across Australia and New Zealand. Since its inception, the competition has been run in over 500 schools.

Each year, returning teams, coaches and mentors clearly demonstrate the positive nature of individual involvement in the program and its sustainability.

Due to its relevance to the Australian Digital Technologies curriculum, some innovative teachers/schools have embedded the Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero Competition into their teaching. One aim of the TGMF is to have the program fully incorporated into the Australian National STEM curriculum thus extending its reach to more girls.

We see no reason why this program would not be relevant or replicable globally.

The Techgirls Competition is designed specifically to address key social and economic sustainability issues. All elements of the competition are founded on principles developed from research findings on gender, diversity, STEM, and entrepreneurship, over the past 20 years.

Specifically, the project addresses the gender disparity in STEM through early intervention by challenging the limiting cultural perceptions of girls and women in these disciplines. The social and economic benefits of a diverse and equitable workforce are well-documented. Empowering girls through building skills and confidence opens doors to careers previously dominated by men, thus creating more opportunity for gender equity in society. It is now accepted that women offer particular attributes and skills in the workplace; this diversity within organisations, in turn, fosters a more creative culture which is better able to problem-solve. The social and economic benefits are on an individual, community, national and, potentially, global level through increased female workforce opportunity, participation, career progression, economic empowerment, and more creative, successful organisations.

The TGMF and the Techgirls Competition are closely aligned with the WSIS values and principles. Our commitment to “a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society” identifies this need for gender equity in STEM fields and addresses this through youth, family and community focussed programs where it is believed they will have the most impact. Furthermore, our Techgirls Competition has enabled individuals and communities across socio-economic boundaries to “create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge... to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life, premised on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and respecting fully and upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” The Techgirls Competition champions the message that science plays a central role in the development of the information society necessary for the fast-changing world of tomorrow and that education and knowledge sharing are fundamental to human progress and well-being. In particular, The Competition disseminates and enacts the principle that women and girls should be an integral part of ICT and all STEM disciplines. We are committed to women's full and equitable participation in all facts of these sectors, including entrepreneurial and leadership roles.