Crowd Machine and the Vital Voices Global Partnership launched its Women in
Application Development initiative today, which is International Day of Women
and Girls in Science. 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 fewer
information and communications technology (ICT) skills than those in developed
countries. 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.