This blogpost is a guest article written by a participant of the Civic Tech Sisters program.
I went to school when the Soviet Union had been yet alive. It was small city in the West of Ukraine Chernivtsi. Soviet collapse made my parents unemployed or with almost no salary. Sometimes they got salary payed by butter, meat, soap powder. I remember coupons for bread and other products because the currency was crazy. You could have 100 today and tomorrow it was nothing. Mother and father did all their best to find money or products for food and some clothes for school. Mother went to nearby Romania to sell candies and get some cash or products. What can I say, my first teen-years were in scarcity and poverty. Scarcity and poverty was also the description of my school, its technical equipment. Teachers also struggled to get money for their children, sometimes they had salary payed by vodka (you have to sell all exchange it on something). It was interesting time and, of course tough one. No internet, smartphones, youtube and tiktok!
Girl, knit and clean
There were so called work lessons in my school. It was gender separated lessons. As it used to be during the Soviet Union education system in the independent Ukraine. Girls should do “girl's work” - knitting, embroidering, boys – carpentry, machinery. Teachers (women for girls, men for boys) put marks for our work lessons.
So, we had separated classes. And if you liked something related to machinery, technique and were a girl, hm… It was in another room and you weren't allowed. Or were allowed to clean there after boys. I wanted but even didn't ask as it was so obvious that girls should knit not solder. My schoolgirls and I were forced to act as society wanted to. If we multiply this factor on permanent financial crisis in Ukraine, especially in small cities, there was no room for STEM encouraging among girls in my time. Schools had separated and gender biased approach, parents were to busy by searching for job, money.
If you wanted to be a techgirl in my time, you should had have at least to understand that you could be techgirl. I was taught to be knitgirl (in fact, I like knitting sometimes)).
Girls for a change
I was working as project manager and coordinator of innovation and data projects when saw a request from Sandra on one of digital transformation communities to launch Technovation in Ukraine. Technovation is a global IT-entrepreneurship contest among schoolgirls https://technovationchallenge.org/ . Schoolgirls have to create teams and develop an app, marketing and business plan to solve problem issue. I looked at Sandra's request, read a description of the contest and my memories were so vivid that I had no doubts – I would join and help (I thought it would be translation and partnership development). Thus my big volunteering project Technovation Ukraine started.
Finally there were only to of us as organizers and ambassadors at Technovation Ukraine – me and Alesia Krupenikova (Belarusian wife of diplomat from the US embassy in Ukraine). We were with no money and resources for launching such ambitious project, but a lot of enthusiasm. Alesia was so dedicated, she was a role model for me. As a mother of two girls she was so passionate to help Ukrainian schoolgirls! She searched resources, partners. She talked everywhere about this contest and its importance for Ukraine, gender equality, girls empowerment. We sent dozens letters for support, had countless of meeting and finally managed to find sponsors for the pitch event. Peace Corps volunteers and other good people helped to mentor girls, Kyiv Politechinstitute gave us their conference room for an event for free, the WNISEF helped with money to pay tickets and accommodation for girls, branding and superprize (trip to San-Francisco). There was such synergy!
It was sunny day in May 2017. More than 50 girls came to Kyiv (capital of Ukraine) from villages, small cities to present their apps! When I prepared presentations and videos for the Pitch event I cried. These little girls (10-16 y.o.) were so brave, savvy, confident, so serious in solving problems in their communities! Apps how to reduce waste, antistress, home-task helper, crowdfunding, air quality and many other! I was so proud of them. These were tears of happiness that girls are not supposed only to knit now, but to be whomever they want, do whatever they want. And, nowadays they had plenty of opportunities thanks to internet!
I was impressed by one team of schoolgirls from small city Nadvirna (22 thousands inhabitants). Little schoolgirls develop an app Amache to resolve stress problems, popular during that time “death games” among teens. They develop a brand of their app, a mvp and spoke almost perfect English! I was so impressed how 12-year old girl seriously talked about death games and stress among kids. For many of them it was first time they visit Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. First time they met co-minders from other cities, villages. First time of public speaking and pitching.
During the second year of the Technovation Ukraine competition the winner has launched her own IT company. She just finished a school and started her business. It was incredible! One team proposed an app for LGBTIQ pupils. Topics diverse from year to year, as grows schoolgirls courage and openness.
Be a nudge
I left this project two years ago as it was hard to combine my work with volunteering in this fast growing program. And WNISEF foundation took this program under their protection. I was calm that our romantic idea with Alesia, countless days of volunteering for girls in tech were not in vain.
The Technovation Girls Ukraine is popular annual contest now among schoolgirls in Ukraine. As the contest itself growth the level of Ukrainian girls' apps also increases. This year Ukrainian team ITbabushka (a platform for people on IT literacy) also managed to get to semifinal of international competition!
Such nudges (IT-contests, mentoring programs, support) help transform Ukrainian girls. Now they are not only “allowed” to enter “boy's space”, they have their own such safe space. And always there will be someone to help them – relatives, internet, volunteers, Technovation or other program, Civic Tech Sisters.