Teaching women in developing countries to build apps

Crowd Machine and the Vital Voices Global Partnership have launched its Women in Application Development initiative on International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2019. The initiative brings together women from nine developing countries to learn how to develop applications using Crowd Machine’s free, online learning platform, Crowd Academy.

Crowd Machine enables anyone to create applications even if they do not know how to code. The joint initiative speeds up the democratization of developing ‘apps,’ which can then be deployed for a number of uses, from starting up new businesses to improving efficiencies in existing companies or interfacing with IoT (internet of things) devices, AI robotics and blockchain.

“We’re delighted to partner with Vital Voices to ensure women in these developing countries learn 21st Century skills that can be immediately deployed to earn income,” said Craig Sproule, CEO Crowd Machine. “This is democracy in action.”

According to the “Measuring the Information Society 2018 Report,” released by the International Telecommunication Union, computer users in developing countries have less information and communications technology (ICT) skills than those in developed countries. The report found that there are also fewer women who possess these skills. The findings indicate there is less potential for creating apps in these developing countries.

“We know that women entrepreneurs are critical partners if we want to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, from eliminating poverty, to boosting women’s empowerment, to providing increased access to information technology,” said Alyse Nelson, President, and CEO, Vital Voices. “If we want to achieve these global goals to bring about the world we want to see by 2030, we need new, innovative solutions to today’s challenges. Equipping women with technological skills like this is crucial to paving the way for these new solutions.”

Meg Jones, VP Community Crowd Machine concurred: “Apps solve problems. Women understand problems that cut across communities and miss-out on IT-based solutions such as selling online. The more women become application engineers, the more problems we will solve.”

The Women in App Development initiative takes participants through the seven-level training that leads to certification as a Crowd Machine Developer. The Vital Voices Global Partnership identifies and invests in high potential women business leaders of SMEs in order to take their business vision to scale and to elevate women’s leadership and entrepreneurship globally.