TRIFINITY Solutions Inc (TSI), a local technology firm, recently launched its inaugural “Project Code-HER” workshop, which focuses on increasing access to computer-coding skills among young women in Guyana.
“It is also an opportunity for young girls and women to be exposed to a field that is not traditionally seen as a field for women like most tech fields, women are underrepresented,” Project Manager and former Queens Young Leader Samantha Sheoprashad said.

She related that TSI works to promote coding as a skill that could be used by young people to create a livelihood for themselves.
“One of the biggest challenges is to eliminate gender-based discrimination in access to resources and opportunities, and to promote a supportive family and community environment for our women,” Sheoprashad said.

She related that participating in the workshop is more than just getting a certificate at the end, it is about improving gender equality and enhancing the role women could potentially play in devising sustainable technological solutions to global issues.

Sheoprashad, in sharing her experience while attending the University of Guyana, said that she was one of the second girls to sit in a class of 28 boys. She said that it was also difficult for her to find employment after completing her tertiary education.

“The reason we encourage girls to take up coding is not just about feminism or equality, it’s not just about fairness or a level playing field, and it’s not just about breaking glass ceilings and filling quotas, it’s far more important than that. It’s about solving problems for the future of our world and driving sustainable development. It’s the combination of this diversity, facilitated through inclusivity, which leads to the ability to solve problems in new and sustainable ways.” she said.

The goal is to encourage more young women to venture into coding, since the industry of information technology is still, to this day, male dominated.
“Gender inequality exists in almost all aspects of our lives, including the tech field. The three-day workshop is Project Code-HER, which seeks to improve training, skill development, and access to digital education in Guyana for women and girls between the ages of 12-25,” Sheoprashad said.

It will focus on the development of digital literacy among women and girls by teaching them how to code and build software. The workshop will be conducted on July 2, 3, and 9, with the option for both in-person and virtual.

Sheoprashad related that the workshop lays the foundation for young women who may want to get into this industry, but are not too sure about what it’s all about, and for those who already have some experience in coding, but would like to improve their skills.

“In the end, we hope to have a community of young women coders who will be able to advocate for more opportunities like this, by engaging with the relevant stakeholders like the government and private sector,” she said.
Trifinity, with the support of the Commonwealth of Learning, is in the business of changing the world for the better.

Over the last decades, there have been a lot of conversations about girls in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and about creating more opportunities for girls in the system.

The workshop helps to create a space for all girls who are interested in coding to be a part of this project and start planting seeds in their careers in STEM.
“In addressing digital inequality, we are focusing on young women because we see the need to have more spaces created for them,” Sheoprashad said.