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Big milestone ahead: Pillar 2 of the TEI OP-VET programme is kicking off
Loïc FIERMANS | 07/04/2025
Starting strong at the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) 2025) in Kampala, Uganda, from 8 - 10 April 2025. It’s our first regional exchange, and we’re stepping into one of the most relevant spaces for our work - bringing together renewable energy investors, private sector players, and policy actors under one roof. At EAIF, we’re hosting a targeted workshop with around 140 participants. The focus? Creating real links between the skills sector and private companies in renewable energy. We’re looking at how vocational training can better align with the jobs being created in this fast-growing field and how to make those connections more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable. That’s what Pillar 2 of this TEI is about: supporting public-private collaboration and regional dialogue that leads to opportunity-driven skills development. EAIF gives us the perfect opportunity to promote the TEI OP-VET approach, start conversations that matter, and engage with key actors like GET.invest, ARE, and Team Europe partners. This isn’t a one-off, either. EAIF is just the starting point. It marks the launch of a series of regional exchanges that will position the Opportunity-Driven VET approach at the heart of green investments and sustainable job creation across Africa. TEI OP-VET Pillar 2 is officially in motion. And Uganda is just the beginning. #TEIOPVET #EAIF2025 #SkillsForJobs #GreenEnergy #TeamEurope #GlobalGateway #RenewableEnergy #VET #PublicPrivatePartnerships
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Belgium : Gender Gamification Workshop
Eva COUDYZER | 14/03/2025
The Digital for Girls and Women project, financed by Enabel and supported by the D4D Hub, organized a 2-day capacity building workshop on the topic of Gender-transformative digital cooperation. The workshop took place in Brussels on October 8 and 9 2024. More information can be found here: Gender Gamification Workshop | D4D Access
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Webinar: Digital inclusion for migrants, refugees and indigenous communities
Eva COUDYZER | 27/02/2025
The Digital for Girls and Women project organised a webinar on the inclusion of minorities in the digital space. The webinar took place on July 10, 2024 by Micky Elange, Gender Expert at Enabel. With contributions by:Audrey-Maude Perreault, IDIL Secretariat UNESCOEddie Avila, Rising Voices, Director Global VoicesJohn Warnes, Senior Innovation Officer, UNHCRKaye-Maree Dunn, Managing Director Making Everything Achievable (MEA)The webinar can be watched here: https://youtu.be/Q5E2Czvqw2o?si=l9lySKiGRTUhk3AS
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Webinar: LGTBQIA+ communities' inclusion in the digital era
Eva COUDYZER | 27/02/2025
The Digital for Girls and Women project, in collaboration with the D4D Hub, organised a webinar on the inclusion of LGTBQIA+ communities in the digital space. The webinar took place on June 19, 2024 by Micky Elanga, Gender Expert at Enabel. With contributions by:Bandy Kiki, LGTBQIA+ Activist UK/CameroonSteph Niaupari, Equality Outreach Manager, GrindrHassel Fellas, Data, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, ILDAChioma Ogwuegbu, Program Officer for West Africa, Free to be Me, HivosThe recording can be watched here: https://youtu.be/CqE81fjp2KY?si=Q45H9mKakLi9xTXK
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Connected Africa Summit 2024: Plenary panel discussions
Eva COUDYZER | 27/02/2025
Panel discussions on the topic of Unlocking she-tech potential for sustainable and inclusive tech driven economy in Africa, driving social change navigating challenges for a sustainable and cultivating digital leadership.Moderator: Fiona Asonga, Chief Executive Officer, TESPOC (Technology Service Providers of Kenya).Panelists:Sen. Miraj Abdillahi, Kenyan Nominated Senator for UDA and Vice-chair of the Senate ICT Committee (Kenya)H.E. Henriette Geiger, EU Ambassador to Kenya.Annette Mutuku, Board member of the ICT Authority, KenyaIdah Nganga, Senior advisor UNESCO, president of the Women in STEM Leaders Org.Romnanah Sombah, Education Offi cer at UNICEF KenyaThe transcription of the panel discussion can be accessed here: Connected Africa Summit 2024: Plenary Panel Discussions
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Connected Africa Summit 2024: Keynote speeches Gender session
Eva COUDYZER | 27/02/2025
The Digital for Girls and Women team participated in the plenary session organized at the Connected Africa Summit 2024.The plenary session included keynote speeches by:Ann Okello, Presidential DigitTalent Programme (Nairobi, Kenya)Zeinab Mohamed, M-PESA Foundation Academy (Thika, Kenya)H.E. Henriette Geiger, Ambassador of the EU to KenyaH.E. Peter Maddens, Ambassador of Belgium to KenyaThe transcript of the speeches can be accessed here: Connected Africa Summit 2024: Keynote Speeches | D4D Access
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Connected Africa Summit 2024: Closing the Gender Digital Divide
Eva COUDYZER | 27/02/2025
The Digital for Girls and Women team partnered with the Connected Africa Summit in Nairobi to coordinate a series of panel discussions on the topic of the gender digital divide. African and European gender experts, students from Thika Technical Institute and the Nairobi Technical Training Institute, as well as the EU and Belgian Ambassador, were invited to participate in the discussions and the plenary meetings.The D4GW team took the opportunity to interview participants, gathering their perspectives on the challenges women and girls face in ICT and potential solutions to bridge the gender digital divide.Participants:Shamira Ahmed, Chair of the D4D Hub Civil Society and Academia Advisory Group (South Africa)Ieva Jākobsone, Founder of She Rebuilds the World and Professor at the John Cabot University (Rome, Italy)Meryem Kassou, Founder of Digitis (Morocco)Noelie Kiswendsida Kouraogo, Director of Mys'TIC (Burkina Faso)H.E. Peter Maddens, Ambassador of Belgium to KenyaPaul Mbua, Chair of the D4D Hub Private Sector Advisory Group (Cameroon)Irene Mwendwa, Executive Director at Pollicy (Uganda)Angela Ndanu, Final-year student in information science at Thika Technical Training Institute (Kenya)Ada Nduka Oyom, Founder of She Code Africa (Nigeria)Onica Nonhlanhla Makwakwa, Digital Inclusion & Gender Equality Specialist (South Africa)Millicent Obara, Instructor at the Thika Technical Training Institute, ICT-department (Nairobi, Kenya).Erly Sheillah Odhiambo, first-year student in computer science at Thika Technical Training Institute (Kenya)Vanessa Onek Tandekwiri, Consultant with Startup UgandaMalick Tapsoba, Digitalization and innovation expert, Digital for Girls and Women (Burkina Faso)Margaret Wangui, second-year student in ICT at Nairobi Technical Training Institute (Kenya)Jesca Tracy Wanyony, second-year student and Thika Technical Training Institute, KenyaThe reports can be accessed here: Connected Africa Summit 2024: Closing the Gender Digital
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The Path to Leadership for Women and Girls in ICT
Eva COUDYZER | 09/02/2025
At the Connected Africa Summit 2024, experts and students explain how they build careers in ICT through pathways in education and entrepreneurship.The video features interviews with:Jesca Tracy Wanyony, Erly Sheilla Odhiambo, Angeline Ndanu, students from the Technical Training Institute in Nairobi.Millicent Obara, instructor at the Thika Technical Training Institute in Nairobi.Margaret Wangui, instructor and students from the Nairobi Technical Institute.H.E. Peter Maddens, Ambassador of Belgium to Kenya.Ada Nduka Oyom (Nigeria), Executive Director of She Code Africa.Shamira Ahmed (South Africa), Chair of the D4D Hub civil society and academia advisory group for Africa.Vanessa Onek Tandekwiri, Consultant with Startup Uganda.Video: The Path to Leadership for Women and Girls in ICT | D4D
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Reducing the Gender Digital Divide
Eva COUDYZER | 09/02/2025
At the Connected Africa Summit 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, experts highlight the significant challenges that women and girls face in accessing digital technologies across many African countries, with particular difficulties encountered in rural areas. The video features interviews with:Vanessa Onek Tandekwiri, Consultant with Startup UgandaProf. Ieva Jakobsone (Latvia), Founder of She Rebuilds The World Ada Nduka Oyom (Nigeria), Executive Director of She Code AfricaNoélie Kiswendsida Kouraogo (Burkina Faso), President of Mys'TIC AssociationMalick Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Expert in entrepreneurship and digital attitudes for the Digital for Girls and Women project, Enabel (Belgium)Onica Nonhlanhla Makwakwa (South Africa), Digital inclusion and gender equality expertVideo:Reducing the Gender Digital Divide | D4D Access
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Access to Technologies for Women and Girls
Eva COUDYZER | 09/02/2025
At the Connected Africa Summit 2024 in Nairobi, experts highlight the significant challenges that women and girls face in accessing digital technologies across many African countries, with particular difficulties encountered in rural areas. The video features interviews with:Vanessa Onek Tandekwiri, Consultant with Startup UgandaProf. Ieva Jakobsone (Latvia), Founder of She Rebuilds The World Ada Nduka Oyom (Nigeria), Executive Director of She Code AfricaNoélie Kiswendsida Kouraogo (Burkina Faso), President of Mys'TIC AssociationMalick Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Expert in entrepreneurship and digital attitudes for the Digital for Girls and Women project, Enabel (Belgium)Onica Nonhlanhla Makwakwa (South Africa), Digital inclusion and gender equality expertWatch the video: Access to Technologies for Women & Girls | D4D Access
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Digital for Girls and Women Project Description
Eva COUDYZER | 07/02/2025
The Digital for Girls and Women project finances initiatives in Belgium, Burkina Faso, and Uganda, aiming to empower women and girls to fully leverage the opportunities presented by today's digital society. The project is founded on the belief that enhancing access to and the effective utilization of digital technologies can empower women economically and socially. In 2021, internet access for women in Africa stood at just 24%, in stark contrast to the 83% in Europe. Least-developed countries (LDCs) reported even lower figures, with only 19% of women having internet access (source: ITU). The gender digital gap poses significant challenges, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as digital skills become increasingly crucial (source: UN Women). Globally, gender imbalances persist in fields such as ICT specialists, where the gender gap is 82%, and STEM and ICT graduates, with a 65% gap. Machine learning specialists and those in AI see even lower female representation at 12% and 13.83%, respectively[1]. However, this imbalance is more prevalent in the developing world, where access to education is more challenging (source: UN Women). A survey showed that many companies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) recruit internationally for digital talent because of the lack of skilled locals. Nevertheless, SSA anticipates a demand for over 230 million jobs requiring digital skills by 2030, highlighting a pressing need for both basic and advanced digital skills across the region[2]. Furthermore, the project seeks to empower women and girls to assert their digital rights. Digital rights encompass access, use, and control of digital information and technology. The European Commission emphasizes six principles in its declaration on European Digital Rights and Principles, centered on a human-centric vision[3]. The pan-African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms champions openness, freedom of expression, the right to information, knowledge development and access, privacy, personal data protection, and gender equality. This pan-African declaration has garnered endorsement from various individuals and organizations across 47 African countries, including many in Uganda[4]. The D4GW project aims to empower individuals, particularly women and girls, to assert these digital rights amidst the rapid digital transformation taking place in developing countries. The final objective of the Digital for Girls and Women project is focused on mainstreaming of gender-related topics in digital for development (D4D), on Belgian and European level, developing joint approaches and active knowledge sharing. The Gender-strategy developed at the D4D Hub[5] ingrains a gender transformative approach to equality and women’s empowerment into the design and implementation of D4D hub policies, processes and work streams and programs[6]. [1] Perifanou, Maria & Economides, Anastasios. (2020). Gender Digital Divide in Europe. International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology. 10. DOI: 10.30845/ijbht.v10n4p2. [2] Digital Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa, Spotlight on Ghana, A New Study Explores Digital Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa, International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group), in collaboration with L.E.K. Consulting: digital-skills-report-flyer-5-22-19-web.pdf (ifc.org) [3] European Digital Rights and Principles | Shaping Europe’s digital future (europa.eu) [4] Home | African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms (africaninternetrights.org) [5] Join the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub (d4dhub.eu) [6] Micky Elanga, A transformative and intersectional approach to placing women and girls' rights at the heart of digital development, D4D Hub, Brussels 2024.
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The TEI OP-VET TA Facility: Unlocking Opportunity-Driven Skills Development
Loïc FIERMANS | 29/01/2025
The Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa (TEI OP-VET) is taking a major step forward with the launch of the Technical Assistance Facility. This project initiative is designed to link skills development and vocational education and training (VET) directly to real employment opportunities created by investments in the Global Gateway’s key areas of partnership: Digital, Health, Transport, and Climate & Energy. By doing so, TEI OP-VET aims to unlock the employment potential of these investments and support sector and value chain development.Running from 2024 to 2029, TEI OP-VET is structured around three streams of action:Request-based TA Facility: Tailored technical assistance to identify employment opportunities and required skills needs.Regional Exchange on Public-Private Partnerships: to stimulate mutual learning and knowledge exchange of good practices on how to set up partnerships between public and private stakeholders for opportunity-driven VET.Competitive Funding Mechanism (Call for Proposals): To facilitate access to finance for innovative and opportunity-driven skills and VET actions in specific value chains. The Technical Assistance Facility offers request-based tailored expertise on the identification of employment opportunities, support for the implementation of OP-VET projects, monitoring and evaluation of OP-VET and Skills Development actions, and the reorientation of programmes to include an Opportunity-Driven VET and Skills Development approach. The TA Facility will soon be operational, starting with six targeted info sessions planned for late February to early March. These sessions will:- Explain the TA Facility's function and process to specific audiences;- Guide eligible organisations on how to submit requests;- Highlight how the facility supports opportunity-driven skills development. This is a milestone for the #TeamEurope Initiative on Opportunity-driven VET, marking the beginning of an impactful journey to address Africa's skills needs. While the info sessions are by invitation only, we are excited to start receiving requests and delivering tailored solutions that align skills training with tangible job opportunities. Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this transformative mission!#TEIOPVET #OpportunityDrivenVET #GlobalGateway #SkillsForJobs
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Week van de Fair Trade 2024: van 2 tot 12 oktober
Evi COREMANS | 13/09/2024
Op 2 oktober 2024 geeft TDC de aftrap voor een nieuwe Week van de Fair Trade. Deze nationale bewustmakingscampagne plaats fair trade 10 dagen lang in de spotlights in heel België, met heel wat persaandacht en een uitgebreid aanbod aan lokale activiteiten.Meer nieuws op de campagnewebsite www.weekvandefairtrade.be.
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With the support of Team Europe, Uganda moves forward on its digital transformation journey
Nils JANSSENS | 24/08/2023
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, much of the world moved online, accelerating a digital transformation that was underway for decades. Uganda was no exception to this trend. Faced with strict lockdowns and school closures, the country was confronted with the need to speed up the adoption of digital technologies to keep its society running and make sure that no one was left behind.Since then, the Government of Uganda has made it a top priority to invest in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and online services to become a more resilient, productive, and competitive economy. In just a couple of years, the country has made great strides in its digital transformation journey. Examples of important achievements include the rolling out of an electronic tax system and an online visa application portal.In line with its mandate to support African institutions to lay grounds for an inclusive and sustainable digital transformation, the African Union - European Union (AU-EU) Digital for Development (D4D) Hub is working with the Government of Uganda to realise its digital transformation ambitions. The project has provided an effective platform for the European Union and its Member States (collectively referred to as Team Europe) to leverage their joint expertise and resources to become a trusted partner for Uganda to collaborate in the digital policy field.Laying grounds for Uganda’s digital transformationThe AU-EU D4D Hub began collaborating with the Government of Uganda in early 2022 – just when the country started re-emerging from prolonged lockdowns. Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency, organised a benchmarking trip for Ugandan civil servants to visit Estonia to identify gaps, needs, and opportunities to advance their own digital transformation. One identified issue, for example, was limited coordination between the government and other actors working in the digital field. The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance requested the AU-EU D4D Hub to organise a first multi-stakeholder dialogue to meet with Uganda’s digital ecosystem. Since then, the AU-EU D4D Hub has continued to work with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance to foster coordination between digital stakeholders, but its services have expanded to cover technical assistance and knowledge sharing activities – also supporting other government institutions.An example of such collaboration is a technical assistance to improve data flows in the education sector, which is being carried out by Estonian experts.“The AU-EU D4D Hub’s technical assistance is enabling us to do the groundwork for the digital transformation of the education sector. We now have a mapping and a process to integrate our information systems to ensure secure data flows.” – Patrick Muinda, Assistant Commissioner for Communications and Information Management at the Ministry of Education and SportsOther examples include a feasibility study to increase the provision of digital public services through the postal system (led by Enabel), and technical guidance on the digitalisation of Uganda’s public procurement system (led by GIZ). While the activities are varied in scope, they all aim to enable the Government of Uganda to have solid foundations on which it can build its digital transformation; for example, clear strategies and work plans, reliable project appraisals and mappings, structured coordination between government institutions and with other actors, and increased technical expertise among policymakers.Team Europe, a trusted partner in the digital fieldAt the European level, one of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was the prioritisation of digital cooperation in international partnerships. As part of the Global Gateway – the EU strategy to boost investments in secure connexions around the world – the European Union and its Member States have significantly stepped up their commitments to accelerate Africa’s digital transition.“The AU-EU D4D Hub has been really instrumental in operationalising the Global Gateway by making sure that it lands in the country and that we can launch the preparatory work for new projects-” – Caroline Adriaensen, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Uganda. In Uganda, the AU-EU D4D Hub has also helped nurture a close cooperation between the European Union and some of its Member States – namely Belgium, Germany, and Estonia. This approach has allowed “Team Europe” to build on each other’s strengths to become a more attractive and effective partner to accompany Uganda’s digital transformation.“Our collaboration with Team Europe (through the AU-EU D4D Hub) has made us, and them, appreciate the fact that working in silos will not take us anywhere. It has also given us exposure to engage with and learn from other countries’ experiences that will help us realise our digital transformation agenda faster and quicker.” – Dr Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.Read the full story
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Wehubit Week: Takeaways for 2023?
Lucie BRICOUT | 20/02/2023
The Wehubit team organised the Wehubit Week in December. Almost 50 people from 12 partner countries attended the Brussels event to represent the 27 digital social innovation projects. Meanwhile, 2023 is well underway. What are the Wehubit Week takeaways that provide guidance to the programme and its partners in the new year? 1. From networking to new partnerships In addition to financial and technical support, Wehubit has developed a sizeable learning component. Indeed, the programme has its own Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN). The Wehubit Week marked the first ever face-to-face meeting with most network members attending. This has borne fruit: a new working group on innovation will soon be launched. Some of the network meetings led to further meetings being scheduled in partner countries. 2. Building bridges between Enabel's expertise and that of Wehubit's partner projects Between sessions on Principles for Digital Development, Gender and Digitisation and Scaling up Social Innovation, the Wehubit Week was a real learning event. Several Enabel experts joined forces with the Wehubit team to make this week a success. In addition to capacity building, the collaborative workshops show that there are links made or to be made between Enabel and Wehubit projects. The participants, who share similar values and goals, could learn from each other. Strengthening these links is a priority for Wehubit and will be even more so for the second Wehubit programme 3. Consolidating the Wehubit Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) In just one and a half year, the KEN has become a dynamic and proactive network. This network has three objectives: capacity building (webinars, theoretical and practical training), partnership building and knowledge building. The Wehubit Week has significantly contributed to each of these three. But more importantly, it has opened up the network to new perspectives. The 50 partner organisations in the network have now taken ownership of the KEN. What binds these partners? The answer is multi-faceted: Digital for Development (D4D), social innovation and scaling up, the Human Rights-based Approach, etc. But the most fundamental common interest, the keystone of KEN, is learning. "Showing successes as well as failures leads to learning, opening up the field of possibilities," explains one of Wehubit's KEN members. Wehubit Week was at the heart of learning and vice versa. Do you want to learn more? Learn from the best practices and lessons learned from Wehubit's partner projects by browsing the e-library. https://www.wehubit.be/en/e-library
