The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is, “INSPIRE INCLUSION.” It aims at recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.
According to the United Nations Women’s organization, UN Women, “advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The issues of climate change and sustainability have had and will continue to have severe and lasting impacts on our environment, economic, and social development. Those who are amongst the most
vulnerable and marginalized experience the deepest impacts. Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources which climate change threatens the most.”
The Visiola Foundation has therefore organized a special hybrid event, in recognition of the importance of girls and women’s to creating a better, climate resilient world for everyone. The Foundation empowers African girls and young women from underserved communities through education, training, and mentoring in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Since 2014, it has directly impacted over 10,000 girls through its high-quality programs, including After-School STEM Clubs for junior and senior secondary school girls (ASCG) attending poorly resourced government schools, residential STEM camps for teenage girls, and Coding Boot Camps for young women. Students learn the science and engineering behind renewable energy and how to leverage these resources for sustainable development; computer programming, mobile app development, problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, public speaking, and leadership. They are coached and mentored by seasoned STEM professionals and are guided in creating working prototypes of robotic and technology solutions to tackle developmental challenges in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The event will accordingly feature presentations from students in the ASCG program showcasing prototypes that they have developed to promote climate change mitigation, as well as discussions of the impact of the Foundation’s STEM programs on their self-esteem, self-confidence, academic performance, and professional outlook.
Students will further benefit from the insights provided by the Keynote Speaker, Chioma. Also the Director of the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) will deliver a speech to encourage the girls.
