UNICEF affirms commitment to enhancing girls’ access to digital skills

AMMAN — On the occasion of International Women’s Day, UNICEF affirmed its commitment to advancing young women’s access to digital learning opportunities in Jordan

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the UN agency pointed out that UNICEF’s Digital Skills for A Better Future Programme has so far benefited over 6,500 young people across the Kingdom, of whom 70 per cent are women. 

The UN observed the International Women’s Day 2023 on March 8 under the theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

Sireen Khaled, 21, from Jordan got her first job in data collection and entry after completing a course at UNICEF’s Digital Skills for A Better Future Programme. 

Khaled, who shared her learning journey with The Jordan Times, was encouraged to join the programme by her mother.

She noted that this training experience enabled her to cultivate “a sense of responsibility, self-reliance and independence”. 

Khaled also stressed that the course she completed, which was both “practical and engaging”, had a positive impact on her personal and professional life through equipping her with the needed skills to ensure her preparedness for the labour market. 

“My message to women on International Women's Day is not to limit themselves to the traditional path of earning a university degree… and remain open to educational opportunities,” especially those that help equip them with digital skills that are “essential” in today’s modern world, she said. 

“Be confident and persist on the goals you set out to achieve, regardless of any difficulties and challenges you may face along the way,” the 21-year-old added. 

The Digital Skills for A Better Future Programme was launched by UNICEF in 2019, in partnership with Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and Digital Opportunity Trust, a UNICEF statement said. 

Its curriculum, which is informed by research assessing the needs of the Jordanian labour market, aims to equip “vulnerable youth” aged between 17 and 24 years with both basic and advanced digital skills, it added. 

The basic digital skills training course focuses on key computer functioning, the use of Microsoft Office and the Internet, while the advanced course includes modules on microwork, web development, e-commerce, social media, graphic design, telemarketing, basic programming language and mobile applications development, the statement continued. 

The programme connects graduates with income-generating opportunities “in the formal or gig economy”, including microwork opportunities uploaded by private sector companies and NGOs on the Bridge, Outsource, Transform (B.O.T) platform, it stated. 

B.O.T, which was launched in Jordan in 2022 by UNICEF and the Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) with funding from the Netherlands, the German development bank KFW, the European Union and Chloe, a French fashion house, according to UNICEF. 

A statement issued by the UN said that this year’s theme for International Women’s Day “recognises and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education”. 

It also aimed to explore “the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities”, while highlighting “the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence”, it added.