DOT | Digital Opportunity Trust

Are you between the ages of 18 and 34 located in Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, or Zambia with an already-existing community initiative that is bridging the gender digital divide? Are you supporting young women and girls’ access to digital technology, connectivity and security (ICT) or enhancing young women and girl’s skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM)? Apply to join the #GirlsinICT Street Team! 

Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and ITU are excited to launch the #GirlsinICT Street Team, a youth-led response to the bridging the gender digital divide. Through the #GirlsinICT Street Team, DOT and ITU will support the impact and reach of 50 youth-led, grassroots initiatives in Africa and the Middle East that are creating opportunities for young women and girls in technology. 

As a successful member of the #GirlsinICT Street Team, DOT and ITU will provide you with: 

• 1-on-1 Virtual Coaching – to support you to make meaningful progress towards your goals and initiative.
• Partnership Training – to enhance your partnership and business development skills and to connect you to relevant training and support networks. 
• Peer-to-Peer Support – to connect you to other youth who have similar interests, focuses and initiatives. 
• Educational Opportunities – to support you to join a relevant e-learning opportunity of your choosing through DOT’s learning catalogue. 
• Gender and Social Innovation Training – to support you to think about your initiative, impact and reach from a gender equality perspective.
• Digital Profiles – to create a digital profile on DOT’s Innojo platform that can be shared with your Street Team peers and beyond. 
• Seed Funding – to award you with seed funding to support your work in your community and your efforts in bridging the gender digital divide. 

As a result, your community initiative will be made stronger and more resilient,  your reach will be scaled, and your impact will grow.

To qualify for selection into the #GirlsinICT Street Team, you must:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 34;
• Be located in Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, or Zambia;
• Have an already existing initiative that is bridging the gender digital divide* by supporting young women and girls’ access to digital technology, connectivity and security (ICT) OR enhancing young women and girl’s skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM);
• Be a leader of your initiative/business; 
• Have strong interest in having a social impact;  
• Have not participated in previous #DOTYouth Street Team initiatives; 
• Be available to participate in the #GirlsinICT Street Team initiative from August 2021 to November 2021;
• Have basic english literacy skills.

For more detailed information on the application and program timelines, please click here. 

*Gender digital divide refers to the inequalities between men and women in terms of internet and digital technology access and use. 

How to Apply: 

Submit your application to join the #GirlsInICT Street Team by filling out this form. 

Deadline to submit your application to be considered in the first round is July 30, 2021 . If your application is successful, you will be contacted by our team on next steps. 

If you have an initiative or social business and you think you might qualify for the #GirlsInICT Street Team but you’re not sure, please apply anyway! We want to hear from you. 

Please note: This initiative is open to all gender identities, however young women are strongly encouraged to apply. Additionally, if you are applying on behalf of a group community initiative that is tackling the gender digital divide DOT will only select one person per initiative to participate.