Tomorrow – Tuesday, November 3 – at 10:30 am, Project “Coding Girls” will be presented during a press conference at the United States Embassy in Rome.
The protagonists are 400 young women from Rome and Naples who fight will against gender stereotypes with a hackathon.
Only 3% of young European women graduate in computer science as opposed to 10% of young men. Moreover, only 9% of app developers are female.
According to the World Economic Forum, very little change is taking place and too slowly. At this pace, gender equality will not be reached until 2095.
In order to reach gender parity in the scientific and technological sectors more rapidly, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and the American Embassy in Italy in collaboration with Microsoft are promoting a new project entitled Coding Girls, a training relay on coding involving 400 young women and 7 secondary schools in Rome and Naples from November 2-8, 2015.
The school coding labs will be held by experts from Sapienza University, Tor Vergata University and IIS Pacinotti-Archimede in Rome and coordinated by American Coach Ashley Gavin.
This year, schools in Naples will be involved, too, thanks to the collaboration of the United States Consulate General for Southern Italy.
The all-female hackathon will be held on November 7-8 at the Fondazione Mondo Digitale Phyrtual Innovation Gym (Rome, via del Quadraro 102) with young women from Rome and Naples.
The press conference to present the project will be held on Tuesday, November 3 (10:30 am) at the American Embassy in Rome (Sala Young, via Sallustiana 49). Besides the young women and coaches involved in the project, speakers at the press conference include:
- Gloria F. Berbena, Minister Counsellor for Press and Cultural Affairs, Embassy of the United States
- Mirta Michilli, Director General, Fondazione Mondo Digitale
- Orlando Ayala, Chairman, Emerging Markets, Microsoft Corporation
- Sabrina Bono, Head of Department for Planning and Human, Financial and Instrumental Resources Management, Ministry of Education, University and Research.
Moreover, this year the Coding Girls will also act as spokeswomen for the European “e-Skills for Jobs” Campaign organised by the European Commission in 22 countries to promote the acquisition of digital skills by the young generations.
