The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is holding a global competition to find the first group of “Generation Connect Gender Champions.” The competition will select twelve (12) outstanding young women (ages 18-24) from poor nations, with funding provided by the Canadian government (2 from each ITU region).
This competition is part of the preparations for the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit, which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda from June 2-4, 2022, and will be coordinated by ITU. The Summit is the ITU Youth Strategy’s overarching project on the road to the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), which will be held in Kigali from June 6 to 16.
Benefits for Gender Champions:
Selected applicants will be expected to attend the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit, which will take place in Kigali, Rwanda from June 2-4, 2022. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will cover the costs of travel and lodging.
The Champions will be expected to organize an online consultation on youth, gender, and technology prior to the Summit. The outcomes of this survey will help to shape and host a session during the Summit for other young delegates and global officials.
Following the Summit, a second, action-oriented consultation session will be held to co-create ideas to enable young women and girls to engage actively with ICTs and STEM. As a result, the Gender Champions will help to achieve a common aim of gender equality.
It’s important to note that these tasks will take about 5-10 hours per week to complete.
Criteria for Eligibility: Young women from underdeveloped nations, ages 18 to 24, are eligible to apply. [1] Must be willing and able to attend the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit from June 2-4, 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. Must be able to communicate in English at an intermediate to advanced level. Before the deadline, you must complete all essential fields on the application form.
NOTE: Two candidates will be chosen from each ITU Region out of a total of twelve candidates.
Africa, the Americas, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States, and Europe are the ITU Regions.
Summary of Participation:
Pre-Youth Summit (2022, April–May)
Gender Champions will use a digital platform to undertake an online consultation on youth, gender, and technology. They’ll meet once a week to arrange a “youth for young” empowerment workshop (or something similar) that will take place in Kigali in June at the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit. Intergenerational dialogues, the Youth Call to Action, Learning Sessions, and Youth for Youth Debates are all opportunities for Champions to participate in at the Summit. Champions may also take part in events relating to International Girls in ICT Day, which will take place on April 28, 2022.
Summit for Young People (June 2-4, 2022)
The twelve Gender Champions will facilitate a “youth empowering youth” skill development workshop (and/or intergenerational dialogues, learning sessions, etc.) at the Generation Connect Youth Summit, focusing on amplifying the voices of youth, particularly young women and girls, in policymaking discussions about digital inclusion. Prior to WTDC, policymakers will be invited to these seminars to connect with young voices.
The Post-Youth Summit will take place from June 6 to July 29, 2022.
The Champions will lead a follow-up online discussion with Generation Connect Youth Envoys and other Summit attendees after the Youth Summit. This discussion will focus on important highlights from the Summit and co-create concrete plans to enable young women and girls to participate in digital inclusion and policymaking in their own communities. In late July 2022, a virtual session will be held to communicate the roundtable’s findings to Generation Connect and associated partners.
(June 6–July 29, 2022) Post-Youth Summit
The Champions will lead a follow-up online discussion with Generation Connect Youth Envoys and other Summit attendees following the Youth Summit. This roundtable will use a gender lens to reflect on major Summit insights and co-create concrete plans to encourage young women and girls to participate in digital inclusion and policymaking in their own communities. Generation Connect and associated partners will be invited to a virtual session in late July 2022 to hear the roundtable’s findings.
Ongoing Participation
Champions will join the Generation Connect Regional Youth Groups and participate in their respective regions’ events. Gender Champions may also participate in the Girls in ICT initiative, which will include them in future projects aimed at inspiring girls to pursue careers in ICT and STEM.
What Criteria Will Be Used to Evaluate Applications?
A Selection Committee of five persons, including ITU employees, will assess the applications. Each application will be evaluated by the Committee based on the following criteria:
- To what extent has the submission showed meaningful experience and engagement in STEM and ICT-related social causes?
- 25% for Motivation: To what extent has the submission exhibited a strong desire to help under-represented groups?
- 25% for Communication: How well does the contribution pitch compelling and significant concepts?
- 20% Creativity: To what extent does the submission make use of creative mediums and/or approaches to bridging the digital divide between men and women?
Participation in the Generation Connect Gender Champion Competition is subject to the following terms and conditions.
Any personal information you provide to ITU will be used solely to determine your eligibility. Such information will not be shared with third parties and will be erased as soon as the processing purpose is completed.
Please refer to the ITU’s privacy policy, which is applicable here, for any additional information.
Review the COVID criteria for travel to and from Rwanda as well.
for more inquiries,visit here
