Dhiraagu and Women in Tech Maldives have concluded the Girls in Data programme, the first data literacy initiative in the Maldives targeted at girls.
The programme, which was conducted online for one and half months beginning on May 28, taught the participants how to collect data, process and interpret it, and derive conclusions based on the results of the analysis of data collected. As part of the programme, the participants visited the Maldives National Library and completed practical data collection activities as well. A total of 25 girls between the ages of 10 and 13 completed the programme and presented their projects created with the skills they learned in the programme.
Speaking about the programme, Dhiraagu said data science and data analytics will be an important skill set regardless of the career path in an increasingly data-intensive world.
Meanwhile, Vice President of Women in Tech Maldives, Mariyam Asna stated that she hoped that the programme has provided the opportunity for the participants to learn new things and hope it has sparked their interest in the field of data science. She also called on the students to move forward in this field with the help of the information and lessons learned in the programme.
The participants of the programme shared their experiences where they mentioned that they got to learn the importance of data processing and learned about different tools they can use for the process. They further highlighted that the Girls in Data programme was a platform that had shown that the data science field can open amazing opportunities for girls and the skills they learned in the programme can be applied to pursue careers in the field.
It is the introductory programme of the Girls in Data series, a joint initiative between Dhiraagu and Women in Tech Maldives. Since 2019, Dhiraagu and Women in Tech Maldives have been conducting an annual programme called Girls to Code to teach girls coding. three separate programmes in the Girls to Code series have been carried out across different locations in the Maldives.