ICT Boot Camp tips women on child empowerment

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Dr Irene Nakiyimba, the deputy director of the Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology (UICT), says society must not neglect boys as it seeks to empower and protect the girl child.

"The agenda of the girl child has lasted for too long and is being fronted and has created a problem for the boy child," Nakiyimba said.

"But when you look at the ministry of gender, gender mainstreaming and being gender sensitive in whatever we do is evaluated across all planning and reporting."

Nakiyimba was speaking as the National ICT Innovation Hub concluded the first-ever Women in ICT Boot Camp, an initiative aimed at equipping young women with practical digital skills and fostering their participation in Uganda’s technology sector.

Sophia Nantongo, the undersecretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, presided over the event as the chief guest on behalf of Dr Amina Zawedde, the permanent secretary of the ministry.

"My request is to find the best scheme or model where we tackle the gaps of the two genders but not focus on only one gender," she said.

Nakiyimba said boys also have their specific skill gaps which have not been prioritised or are prioritised but on a generic platform.

She proposed the integration of both females and males into training and mentorship programmes.

Adding: "There is no community that doesn't have both male and female. So why do we continue advocating for separation? I know that men are engineered differently. We are also engineered differently. Their success does not mean they don't have gaps. Let's also address their gaps. Let's identify the gaps of the boy child, including in ICT which can propel their careers."  

(Credit: John Masaba)

(Credit: John Masaba)

The closing ceremony of the Boot Camp, held at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa marked the culmination of a week-long training program that brought together 45 female participants from various universities across Uganda.

According to Nantongo, the boot camp was held in commemoration of International Women’s Day 2025 and was designed to bridge the gender gap in technology by providing hands-on training in Artificial Intelligence, 3D Animation, Robotics, Blogging, and Digital Content Creation. Leading experts from Otic Foundation, Crossroads Animation, Fundi Bots, and Edutech Club facilitated the training sessions, ensuring that participants gained relevant and competitive digital skills.