Empowering young women and girls with 21st-century workforce skills is crucial for their development, a need understood by the Ecobank Foundation. Currently, the foundation has 46 per cent of women employed and aims to achieve gender parity by 2025. On July 18, the Ecobank Foundation and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) hosted a side event during the 2023 Women Deliver Conference, focused on “Preparing girls and young women for the 21st-century workforce.” The event, held at Kigali Serena Hotel, brought together private sector leaders, government representatives, education experts, and youth leaders to discuss key issues surrounding future skills and collaborative efforts to strengthen education systems for young girls, ensuring they are well-prepared for the job market. Elisa Desbordes, Chief Operating Officer of Ecobank Foundation, noted that there is still a need to fix stereotypical roles for girls and boys that are perpetuated by companies, knowingly or unknowingly. She highlighted that women only account for 28 per cent of the workforce in STEM and ICT fields globally, declaring there is also a need to encourage them to pursue the fields while also creating and promoting platforms to break the social and cultural bias. Desbordes further declared that Ecobank Foundation believes that the education and business communities need to come together to map the skills that are needed and will be needed in the future. This, she said, will enable the curriculum to be redefined and adapted to the new realities. The Minister of Education, Valentine Uwamariya, said in the rapidly evolving job market, it is essential for young women to develop a diverse range of skills that can help them thrive in many fields. Those skills, she said, include digital literacy, as well as coding, data analysis, cybersecurity, communication, and collaboration skills, which are considered essential for success in any workplace. She added that for young women to emerge, they also need financial literacy, and declared that the new Global Partnership of Education grant presents an opportunity to ensure that young women are afforded a chance to pursue higher education—given that the aim is to create an alternative education programme specifically tailored for girls who dropped out due to teenage pregnancies and other various reasons. Deborah Odenyi, the Country Director of Girl Rising in Kenya, emphasised the vital importance of aligning soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, leadership, and self-responsibility, with the career aspirations of girls. The skills, she added, often pose a challenge for the youth to acquire, making it crucial to instil them in girls from early childhood. Odenyi further advocated for sustained support from educational institutions and parents to empower girls with the necessary skills and opportunities for success in the ever-evolving educational landscape and the future job market. Atete Rugege, the Head of Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology, highlighted two other critical aspects of their curriculum to help girls thrive. Firstly, they focus on leadership development, and secondly, they prioritise promoting a sense of fun in the learning process. As part of their strategy, she said the school encourages community service, fostering a sense of responsibility and engagement with societal issues. They also facilitate global exchange programmes and webinars, which expose students to diverse perspectives and help build their confidence. Rugege acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead in adapting to the continuously changing future job market. However, she expressed confidence that by instilling self-assurance in girls and nurturing their curiosity, they can steer them in the right direction.
