February 3, women from Silicon Valley companies will present in Kigali, the host city to a women’s ICT event and program launch. According to a New Times report, 20 companies — including Twitter, Symantec and Intel — will send representatives to take part in the ‘Women in Technology Exclusive Cocktail.’

The event, as the theme outlines, aims to close the gender gap in Rwanda’s ICT sector. Organized by the ICT chamber of the Private Sector Federation (PSF) and TechWomen, the tech shindig will also serve as a launching pad for the Techgirls Mentorship Programme. This initiative will be implemented through the country’s schools and tackle the gender gap in ICT as it relates to STEM fields of study.

“We hope to have an established network of women who will meet regularly and have activities geared at increasing girls and women participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields,” Angel Bisamaza, a member of TechWomen said.

“The programme’s goal is to bring together women in Science, Technology, engineering and Mathematics fields to empower and act as role models to the young women with interest in the sector. We want to use the session to reach out to school-going girls and expose them to opportunities in the sector,” she said.

The larger problem, which the event and program aim to solve, is parallel with the mission of Rwanda’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). Strengthened networking and tracked benchmarks of the Techgirls Mentorship Programme are hoped to ultimately shift Rwanda’s low-income economy standing to middle-income.

“It is a milestone to have such initiatives and Rwandan women initiating such programmes and ideas and trying to reach out to the girls. Such an initiative will go along way in introducing school-going girls to the opportunities and possibilities available out there,” Oda Gasinzigwa, Gender and Family Promotion minister said in the report.

PSF ICT chamber director Alex Ntale reiterated that Rwanda’s innovative competitiveness is rooted in ideas, which a vast group of techies and hopefuls contribute.

“A private sector driven economy requires a balanced representation of both male and female which can only happen if we start empowerment at the grassroots,” he said. “We want Rwanda to be an innovation hub and a centre of excellence.”