IT Girls – Digital Skills Initiative for Women and Girls (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

IT Girls, a joint UN Women-UNDP-UNICEF initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, began in February 2016 with a 4-day web-coding camp in Sarajevo for 12 girls aged 13-15, addressing one of the Western Balkans' lowest female shares of the ICT workforce against youth unemployment that has exceeded 60%, with support from Microsoft and local tech firms.

Now a recurring programme of camps and school partnerships, its 'Schools of the Future' strand implemented with STEMI and funded by the Government of Norway (EGG2 project) has reached more than 500 students and 70 teachers across 29 schools with hands-on training in coding, Arduino, robotics and 3D design; trainers report early hands-on exposure and near-peer mentoring shifted participants' interest toward IT careers.