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SARAJEVO, October 18 (FENA) - More than 80 young women and girls across Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered in Sarajevo today to learn more about programming over the course of two days, competing for the best idea to solve a problem and thus jointly mark European Coding Week.
The EU Delegation to BiH, the United Nations "IT Girls" Initiative, organized a hackathon to promote greater participation of women in the digital sector, bearing in mind that only a quarter of labor force in this sector are women.
The young women are grouped into 18 teams that, while working with mentors, will have the opportunity to demonstrate the potential to initiate positive change in society and offer solutions to the problems in the communities which the society deals with on a daily basis.
Project coordinator of "IT Girls" Tanja Madžarević explained that this initiative has existed since 2015 and works on empowering of girls and young women to join the IT sector. They have so far organized more than 30 online competitions for young women age 16 to 35.
“Statistics are devastating when it comes to the participation of young women in the IT sector in the European Union and BiH, given that there are three to four times fewer women in STEM studies and employees in the IT sector. Due to cultural biases, girls are less likely to study these disciplines,” she explained.
The event was jointly opened by Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Khaldoun Sinno and United Nations Resident Coordinator in BiH Sezin Sinanoglu, pointing out that the event aims to improve digital skills in girls and young women.
They noted that the IT sector in BiH has recorded significant growth since 2010, but only a quarter of its employees are women, so this week is dedicated to thinking about how to prepare young people for the future.
#CodeLikeITGirl, a 36-hour-long hackathon brought together girls and young women from Novi Travnik, Sarajevo, Živinice, Visoko, Bihać, Cazin, Turbe, Travnik, Vitez, Drvar, Hadžići, Ilijaš, East Sarajevo, Mostar, Tuzla, Kiseljak, Bugojno, Gornji Vakuf - Uskoplje, Busovača, Banja Luka and Prijedor.
The teams will present ideas for solutions to various problems in local communities (pollution, public transportation or social inclusion) to a seven-member jury composed of representatives of the IT Girls Initiative, the European Union to BiH Delegation, the private IT sector and tacademia.
IT Girls is a joint initiative of three UN agencies (UNDP, UNICEF and UN Women) working with girls and young women to build the digital skills needed in the 21st century, as well as to build confidence and enhance their active involvement in IT sector and others areas of research and study.
(FENA) S. R.
