MANILA -- Digital technology has empowered users in many ways that affect their everyday lives. The Internet, as an example, has helped raise awareness about health issues such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which many have never heard of before up until the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral.
However, despite its power of spreading news or connecting people across the world, the Internet alone cannot resolve the gender divide in digital. A study estimates that among the Internet users in the world, only 25 percent in Africa, 22 percent in Asia, 38 percent in Latin America, and six percent in the Middle East are women.
Why should we care? This represents a broader issue in the socio-economic and cultural inequality wherein participation of women in digital technology are limited especially in developing countries due to discrimination, lower income, and more.
This is where the “eSkills4Girls” challenge comes in -- a global initiative by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supported by Google and in partnership with Impact Hub.
The challenge aims to tackle the gender digital divide by increasing the participation of women in the digital economy.
Startups, social enterprises or NGOs run by mostly women were selected from developing cities namely Accra (Ghana), Odessa (Ukraine), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Manila (Philippines) to present at the prestigious Women20 Summit in Berlin this April, which G20 President and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be attending.
Impact Hub Manila invited six teams to attend the two-day workshop last March 28 and 29 where they collaborated and identified challenges women are facing in digital technology today. The workshop concluded with a pitch to the panel, represented by Ces Rondario (Co-founder, Impact Hub Manila), Tracy Ignacio (Chief Of Operations, KMC Solutions), Valentina Incognito (Account Manager, KMC Solutions), and Monette Itturalde-Hamlin (Founder & President, TeamAsia).
The two teams who were selected to represent the Philippines in Berlin are Jeepneed and Aurelia & Amelia.
Jeepneed brings hands-on science to schools, by providing innovative affordable materials, mapped to local Department of Education standards.
Aurelia & Amelia is the first accessory retailer to offer multi-style and multi-purpose fashion accessories that supports local Filipino suppliers and non-profit organizations.
Both teams received an all-expense paid trip to Berlin for one week from April 21 to 26 to explore the social innovation ecosystem and to participate in a two-day Hackathon. Moreover, they get a chance to pitch in the Women20 Summit, receive mentorship from Google Entrepreneurs and a grant worth 15,000 euros.
"Based on own experiences I know that glass ceilings still exists. I believe that future generations will grow up in a gender equal world. To get there, we need to continuously support and empower women today. Thus, we are thrilled about the outcome of eSkills4Girls program and the women who participated. We will be having more such initiatives in the near future," said LizAn Kuster, co-founder of Impact Hub Manila.
Impact Hub Manila offers coworking spaces, incubation programs, corporate innovation workshops, and a vibrant learning community.
Locally rooted and globally connected, Impact Hub continues to dominate the coworking industry as the largest global network of entrepreneurs with 15,000+ members in 86 Impact Hubs around the world.
In partnership with KMC Solutions, Impact Hub Manila offers six key locations in Metro Manila for coworking or office space. This allows flexibility and convenience to entrepreneurs and startups who are passionate in collaborating to create an impact.
Members can choose their preferred homebase (location) and move around other Impact Hub coworking spaces with no additional costs.
Visit impacthub.ph to know more about Impact Hub Manila and their coworking spaces. Follow Impact Hub Manila on Facebook or Twitter to get real-time updates on events and announcements. (PR)