Dhiraagu and Women in Tech Maldives have concluded “Girls in Data” program, the first data literacy initiative in Maldives targeted to girls.
The program, which was conducted online for one and half months beginning on May 28, 2022, taught the participants how to collect data, process and interpret it and derive conclusions based on the results of the analysis of data collected. As part of the program, the participants visited the Maldives National Library and completed practical data collection activities as well. 25 girls between the ages of 10 and 13 completed the program and presented their projects created with the skills they learned in the program.
“In an increasingly data intensive world, data science and data analytics will be an important skill set regardless of the career path. Introducing children, especially girls to this data literacy programme and instilling their confidence to explore the field at a young age was one of the key objectives of Girls in Data” Bishaara Hameed, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Dhiraagu.
Speaking at the closing ceremony Vice President of Women in Tech Maldives, Mariam Asna stated that she hoped that the program has provided the opportunity for the participants to learn new things and hope it has sparked their interest in the field of data science. She also called on the students to move forward in this field with the help of the information and lessons learned in the program.
The participants of the program shared their experience where they mentioned that they got to learn the importance of data processing and learned about different tools they can use for the process. They further highlighted that the Girls in Data program was a platform that had shown that the data science field can open amazing opportunities for girls and the skills they learned in the program can be applied to pursue careers in the field.
This is the introductory program of the Girls in Data series, a joint initiative between Dhiraagu and Women in Tech Maldives. More programs in the series are planned to be conducted in different parts of the country. Since 2019, Dhiraagu and Women in Tech Maldives have been conducting an annual program called Girls to Code to teach girls coding. 3 separate programs in the Girls to Code series have been carried out across different locations of Maldives.
