Youth-Led Initiative at UNZA | Lusaka

We Don't Just Learn Tech.
We Build It. We Lead It.

Girls in ICT and STEM Initiative is a youth-led movement empowering young women at UNZA and beyond to lead, build, and own innovation in ICT and STEM.

200+ young women empowered | Bootcamps | Mentorship | Innovation Challenges

200+Girls Empowered

150+Members at UNZA

10Ventures Pitched in 2026

1Movement

More Than A Club. A Movement.

Started at the University of Zambia, the Girls in ICT and STEM Initiative exists to make sure young Zambian women don't just participate in STEM — they lead it.

We equip girls with digital skills, leadership, entrepreneurship, and career pathways through hands-on programs, mentorship, and community.

Learn About The Initiative →

FLAGSHIP PROGRAM 1

EmpowerHer Conference

Building Zambia's Future Through Digital Inclusion and Innovation

Our flagship conference. Where young women turn digital skills into real ventures.

In 2026, 200+ young women came together for no-code training, design thinking, financial literacy, career guidance, and an Innovation Challenge where 10 women-led ventures pitched.

What You Learn:

No-Code Development
Design Thinking & Digital Inclusion
Financial Literacy for Startups
Career Navigation & Leadership
Pitching to Investors & Partners

2026: 21st - 24th April 2026 | UNZA, Zanaco Innovation Lab, NIPA + Live-streamed nationwide

FLAGSHIP PROGRAM 2

EmpowerHer Build Lab

From Prototype to Prosperity

Build Lab is the 30-day intensive that takes the top EmpowerHer finalists from prototype to investor-ready ventures.

The 30-Day Journey:

Week 1: Problem Validation + Design Thinking — Talk to real users, refine the problem
Week 2: Technical Build + Mentorship — Build MVPs with no-code / low-code tools
Week 3: Business Model + Finance — Pricing, business model, pitch training, financial planning
Week 4: Testing + Refinement — Pilot with users, get feedback, measure impact
Demo Day: Final pitches to investors, partners, and media + Graduation

What Builders Leave With:

A functional MVP tested with real users
A pitch deck ready for investors
Business + financial skills
Connections to partners and pilot opportunities
A place in the alumni network

Apply / Express Interest

About The Initiative

Our Story

Girls in ICT and STEM Initiative started as a student club at UNZA in March 2024. It has grown into a youth-led movement with a flagship student chapter at UNZA and expanding chapters across Lusaka.

Our Mission

To advance the participation and leadership of young women in ICT and STEM.

Our Vision

A Zambia where young women don't just use technology — they build it, lead it, and own innovation.

What We Do

Skills Bootcamps & Coding Workshops
Mentorship & Career Networking
Community STEM Outreach to Schools
EmpowerHer Conference
Build Lab

Our Values: Build. Lead. Empower.

How It Works

1. Join

Become part of the Initiative

2. Build

Learn by building in Build Lab

3. Lead

Pitch at EmpowerHer, mentor others, lead projects

Join / Partner

For Girls — Join Us

Want to learn, build, and lead? Join the Initiative.

Join on WhatsApp

For Mentors

Share your skills. Mentor a builder. Judge a pitch.

Become a Mentor

Partner With The Movement

We work with universities, innovation hubs, NGOs, and industry leaders to grow the next generation of women innovators.

Support EmpowerHer + Build Lab. Gain visibility at Demo Day, in media, and on the ventures being built.

Become a Partner

Contact Us

Girls in ICT and STEM Initiative
University of Zambia | Lusaka

📞 Phone / WhatsApp: 0777 493 078

📧 Email: info@girlsinictandstem.org

📱 Instagram: @girlsinictandstem

🌐 Website: www.girlsinictandstem.org

We Don't Just Learn Tech.We Build It. We Lead It.