- YCAB Foundation and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, in partnership with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics and the Ministry of Education and Culture, are educating 60,000 girls on STEM over the course of 3 years through its Girls4Tech digital learning platform.
- Girls4Tech Indonesia is a digital platform developed by YCAB Foundation and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to inspire girls to pursue a career in STEM in one month. Since the platform launch, more than 2,000 girls have registered for the program and 40 teachers have volunteered as mentors.
YCAB Foundation and Mastercard, together with The Ministry of Communication and Informatics and the Ministry of Education and Culture, has strengthened their commitment to support girls’ STEM education and girls empowerment in Indonesia through the Girls4Tech program. The goal of this program is to inspire Indonesian girls aged 10-15 years old to pursue careers in STEM.
During a time where physical training is not possible, YCAB Foundation has innovated to develop a digital platform where girls can learn online in a fun and engaging way. This online training, supervised by teachers as mentors, will run for the next 3 years to reach at least 60,000 girls in Indonesia.
Currently, the development and importance of technology is increasingly growing. Therefore, skills in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering / Engineering, Mathematics) field is increasingly needed. These skill sets and knowledge are fundamental to support Indonesia’s Industry 4.0, as stated by Johnny G. Plate, the Minister of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia. It is predicted in 2030 Indonesia will need 9 million digital talents and will need to continuously provide opportunities to develop technological innovations, address cybersecurity, and various other job opportunities in the digital era.
There is great gender inequality in the STEM industry, where only 30% of the workforce in the STEM sector is female (BPS, 2017). A study conducted by UNESCO and Korean Women’s Development Institute revealed how there is a great demand by female students in higher education institutions to study STEM. This can be seen in how majors like biology, chemistry, pharmacy, medicine and medicine are dominated by female students. However, this high interest in STEM in the academic world does not translate to the workforce, as women who are actively working in the STEM field is still very rare.
Due to this growing need of girls in technology, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and YCAB Foundation will provide gamification course and digital assistance facilities for girls, teachers and mentors for 60,000 girls. For five days, the trainees will be given training presented in the form of educational games, animated videos and e-books. There is also a discussion forum for questions and answers between trainers and participants, coordination and monitoring with the teacher through the training. Selected participants will receive an award in the form of certificates and opportunities to participate in advanced STEM training.
Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia Emerging Markets, Mastercard said :
“Today, there is an urgent need to upskill people to be able to participate in the digital economy – a key sentiment strongly echoed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Mastercard has been actively creating and implementing initiatives that can bridge the digital skills gap and create a digital economy that works for everyone, everywhere. To address this need, Mastercard is proud to collaborate with YCAB Foundation, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics and the Ministry of Education and Culture to support girls’ STEM education in Indonesia through the Girls4Tech program. Mastercard believes that this initiative can support the government’s effort to produce more skilled STEM talents in the country, and inspire a generation of women leaders who will be able to unlock the transformative potential of the country’s digital economy.”
Veronica Colondam, Founder and CEO of YCAB Foundation said :
“Through the Girls4Tech program, we will introduce something new, something fun and interactive. We are investing in the future of these girls so they can advance in the world of technology. We hope to create a future with more women participating in STEM field.”
Girls4Tech will commence in four regions in its first year, namely East Java, West Java, Banten, and Jakarta. The students will be given training through the form of online gamification which materials are about digital, cryptology, fraud detection, cybersecurity & cyber-hygiene, and technological innovation. Schools and teachers who want to participate in STEM program can register here bit.ly/G4TIndonesia and contact YCAB Foundation for more information.