Technovation’s Ambitious Plan To Empower 25 Million Young Women In 15 Years

Recent research shows that women make up barely 25 percent of workers in the technology sector. The disparity is even more pronounced at the executive level, where women hold just 11 percent of leadership roles. What if more young women could use technology to solve real-world problems and drive sustainable development in their communities? That’s precisely what Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of a global tech education nonprofit Technovation, is striving to make possible. Technovation, which Chklovski founded in 2006, now operates in over 120 countries, inspiring a new generation of female leaders, problem-solvers, and innovators.

During our recent meeting, Chklovski shared her vision of empowering young women, particularly those from underserved communities, through AI and technology education.

Julia Brodsky: Why do you choose to focus specifically on young women in tech?

Tara Chklovski: Solving for girls is solving for the world. As demonstrated by research, girls’ education significantly contributes to economic progress. Despite this, for every 100 men in the workforce, only 66 women are present. Furthermore, women are underrepresented in technology, which is one of the fastest drivers of change. Therefore, empowering women to join the tech field is one of the quickest ways to boost the economy. But that is just the beginning. Girl’s tech education serves as a powerful catalyst for an array of positive societal impacts, from diminished poverty to enhanced health outcomes, elevated food productivity, and the preservation of ecology. Educated women also contribute to stability and peace in communities after pandemics and wars, making it a crucial focus area.

Brodsky: Could you provide some examples of what was done by Technovation participants?

Chklovski: There have been some remarkable apps created by girls. One of my favorites is from a team in Uzbekistan who made an app to help their parents be more equitable in how they allocate household chores between girls and boys. These girls were finalists in a competition when they were only around 9 or 10 years old. I’m just amazed at their bravery and determination to identify a problem and work to fix it.

Back in 2019, a girl from the US developed an app specializing in invasive weed recognition for farmers. This year, she embarked on a new venture, founding an AI start-up that employs a large-language model to curate customer reviews. Impressively, she secured an investment of $600k to fuel the growth of her company.

In 2022, a team of talented girls from the United States introduced HateErase, an AI-powered Twitter hate speech classification app. Not only does it identify and categorize hate speech, but it also locates offensive content and utilizes Twitter’s API to report and remove such tweets promptly. At the same time, Indian teams created apps ranging from ones that help elders navigate technology and stay independent to those that help farmers diagnose plant diseases.

Brodsky: What are the global trackers for girls’ tech education, and how do they change with time?

Chklovski: According to the data, there are 600 million adolescent girls in the world who could greatly benefit from tech education. While no single organization can reach all girls worldwide, the United Nations sets global goals and tracks progress towards them, guiding our efforts. Last year, we evaluated existing SDG trackers and found two metrics that could be reassessed as the world of tech has advanced since they were established: measuring women’s empowerment by the number of mobile phones they own and measuring students’ digital skills by their ability to make PowerPoint presentations. Our proposition is to focus on the metrics that reflect the development of meta-level skills, switching from simply understanding tech concepts to active problem identification and practical problem-solving. Technovation’s example and long-term impact data demonstrate that such a switch could help make a meaningful lasting difference.

Brodsky: So, what is your vision for the future?

Chklovski: Technovation has proven to be the only program that can boast a 76% rate of girls going on to pursue STEM degrees and careers, making it a powerful tool for global impact. We have developed a model that could guide the organization’s growth, resulting in a plan to reach 25 million girls over the next 15 years. This ambitious goal can be achieved through leveraging technology, partnerships, funding, and innovation.

While some governments have introduced AI curricula for K–12 students, more should be done to move from theoretical knowledge to practical applications. We need to empower students to build and solve problems with AI and cutting-edge technology. To make this shift, we propose a coalition of global and local organizations with the ambition, courage, and track record to reach a significant number of girls.

It is crucial that we redefine our perspective on girls’ education now. The empowerment of girls through technology education holds the key to propelling the well-being of all of humanity. This week, we published our strategic plan for the years 2022- 203, providing girls with the tools and resources so they could become pioneers of innovation. Our blueprint is clear: establish partnerships, set up a strong infrastructure, develop a comprehensive curriculum, and train educators. Finally, build up an ecosystem of young female leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors to serve as mentors and role models. The world has the resources, research, data, and clear roadmap to support this initiative. We invite all of you to join our efforts and work together to achieve this critical objective.