New girls’ coding hub opens in Fort Portal for digital skills
A technology center designed to teach coding and computer skills to young women has opened at Kyebambe Girls’ Secondary School in Fort Portal, expanding efforts to close the gender gap in digital education across the Rwenzori region.
UN Women partnered with the African Union Commission, International Telecommunication Union and Ugandan government officials to launch the facility equipped with 60 computers for training and mentorship programs. Deputy Country Representative Adekemi Ndieli said providing technology access enables girls to move beyond participation into leadership roles within the nation’s evolving digital economy. The African Girls Can Code Initiative operates a second regional hub at Wanyange Girls’ Secondary School in the eastern parts of the country.
Since 2018, the program backed by GIZ has instructed more than 2,000 young women across the continent, with 240 trainees in Uganda during the third phase. Evaluations show participants who had never operated computers now build websites, while vocational schools report increased female registration. Program graduates have secured jobs or started technology businesses that benefit their households and neighborhoods. UN Women plans to expand mentorship connections and encourage integration of the initiative into national education frameworks while thanking Mountains of the Moon University for hosting a recent coding camp.
