The DigiGirlz program, conducted by Recode and Microsoft, has announced the winners of DigiGirlz Day, an event that encourages women to seek solutions to problems using technology. In this edition, 30 DigiGirlz women were selected for this special day, which included mentorship and project creation. Among them, young Suiany Mendonça and Lígia Shimizu came up with a system that helps mothers achieve a better balance between their professional and personal lives, called “Mãe na Rede” (Mother in the Network), which earned them the top position among the ten candidate projects.
The central proposal of the project is to create a triad between mothers, independent babysitters, and companies, in a business model that involves dedicating a portion of the company’s funds to hiring babysitters to support mothers who are upgrading their skills. The support would be offered during the hours of classes and skilling training sponsored by companies.
“Nowadays, 30% of women leave their jobs after childbirth, compared to just 7% of men, according to research by Catho. In addition, during the pandemic, 46% of women said they adapted their work schedules more than their partners, according to a study by security company Kaspersky. That’s why Mãe na Rede (Mother on the Network) is here to help women study or start their careers in technology through the care of their most precious asset: their children in the hands of qualified professionals. It’s great to see institutions working together to bring together women who have an affinity for technology to think about solutions together,”explains Lígia Shimizu.
For Suiany Mendonça, the experience was amazing: “a day full of inspiration, dedication, and connection with other women. We thought about other topics, but we realized that it was necessary to create a support network that would help mothers in their personal and professional development. I know mothers who start studying something, but end up giving up because they can’t juggle their studies or work with motherhood. Thus, our idea contributes in practice to the rise of women, showing that technology, unlike the stereotype created, has no gender.”.
If put into practice, the solution can help create jobs for people who take care of children, while allowing mothers (especially single mothers) to qualify themselves while their children are well taken care of.
“We have a very large gender inequality in the technology market, where only 30% of professionals are women. The goal of DigiGirlz is to awaken female interest in careers in the area and be a gateway to longer technology training, improving employability and income of these women,” comments Lucia Rodrigues, Philanthropy Leader at Microsoft Brazil.
The prize received by the creators of the project was a cell phone for each, in addition to a special kit that all competitors received, containing an event t-shirt, headphones, notebook, plastic folder, R$30.00 in mobile credit, and a digital participation certificate.
In addition to Mãe na Rede, check out the other ideas that participants presented at DigiGirlz Day:
- Kids In Tech: aims to introduce children from rural and peripheral areas, who have little or no access to technology, internet, and social media, to the technological world, using playful and accessible projects for low-income populations;
- Lady Conect: an app that connects women with various service providers, optimizing women’s routines with safety, quality, and convenience;
- Mãe’s in Tech: a program that trains low-income single mothers who are not in the IT market due to lack of knowledge or opportunities through technology courses;
- Moleca Digital: an educational project to help girls aged 7 to 12 and their guardians to change the culture that “technology is not for girls”, using courses with strategic content to arouse their curiosity;
- PLAMEI: a support platform for independent women entrepreneurs (micro-entrepreneurs) who want autonomy to create and promote their brands on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp in an integrated way;
- ProgrAmei: a platform that aims to connect women aspiring to the technology field and boost their careers through education and emotional connection, generating professional opportunities;
- Programex: an app that helps train women in the technology field, using games and facilitating their connection to partner companies for hiring and entry into the job market;
- REPRESENTA + ELAS: a platform for sharing knowledge among women, seeking empowerment through technology;
- WFC – Women Friendly Company: the platform connects women who are attending bootcamps with companies certified as healthy and diverse environments for their professional development in technology.
The DigiGirlz Program
The partnership between Recode and Microsoft allows for the execution of the company’s global program in Brazil. The central objective is to train women in the technology field, promoting their entry into this job market. After all, according to UNESCO’s report, the shortage of women in STEM careers is a global issue: only 35% of students in higher education STEM courses are women worldwide, and only 3% of women in higher education choose to study technology. In the job market, the numbers are even more concerning: in the tech world, especially in the software industry, female representation often does not exceed 10%.
DigiGirlz courses are 100% free and online, open to any woman over 18 years old from all over Brazil. You just need to register through Recode’s portal and select the tracks for Technologies for the Future (40 hours) and Recode’s Inspirational Journey Methodology (10 hours).