Women involved in ICT under the initiative ‘Her2Voice’ will today host awareness and skill-building training for school girls with the aim of encouraging them to pursue Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

The event is part of an initiative dubbed "Her2Voice awareness Campaign” which aims at encouraging girls to pursue STEM courses which in the long run will help integrate a bigger number of women in STEM oriented careers.

The day-long event will bring together girls from different high schools, Universities and TVET schools and industry role models at IPRC Kicukiro Campus, where activities will be conducted in small groups led by trainers and facilitators.

The campaign was initiated by a group of Rwandan women who participated in a five-week mentorship programme in Silicon Valley in the US under the TechWomen Programme.

Rita Clemence Mutabazi, one of the participants in the programme, said it was then that they decided to collectively encourage young girls to pursue careers in science subjects.

"During this life changing experience, the Rwandan team took time to reflect on the current landscape of the STEM field in Rwanda as far as women integration in the workforce is concerned,” Mutabazi said.

 "We decided to join efforts and work toward a common goal of encouraging young girls to pursue STEM courses, which in the long run will help integrate a bigger number of women in STEM oriented workforce,” she added.

Alongside her colleagues, Neza Guillaine, Emma Marie Ndoringoma, Angel Bisamaza and Diane Ukwishaka, they have worked to expose girls to role models as well as provide skills and training that will allow them to apply STEM in their earlier stages of education.

Today’s activity will be part of a series of events that include organising training on various activitiess, working on projects that involve technology and girls’ field of study issue in their community and follow up on national or international STEM events and initiatives such as Technovation challenge.

Germaine Kamayirese, the Minister of State in charge of Energy, Water and Sanitation at the Ministry of Infrastructure who was this week listed on Forbes magazine’s list of the 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2014 is expected to grace the event.