A groundbreaking initiative aimed at closing the gender gap in technology is making its fourth annual return to Belize, bringing together a record cohort of young women eager to carve out careers in the digital space. ‘Lead Like a Girl’, which launched as a small grassroots project years ago, has evolved into a nationally recognized movement that continues to expand its reach and impact, empowering growing numbers of teenage girls to explore opportunities in a field historically dominated by men.
This year alone, 140 female students from 35 high schools across the country are participating in hands-on activities ranging from introductory coding workshops and interactive game development to team-based digital problem-solving challenges. What starts as casual curiosity for many participants is quickly transforming into concrete long-term career ambition, as the program creates a supportive, judgment-free space for young women to test their skills and build confidence in tech-focused work.
Namrita Balani, Belize’s Director of Science and Technology, noted that the program’s rapid growth in participation over the past four years signals two key shifts: a sharp rise in young women’s inherent interest in technology, and the emergence of a far more robust support ecosystem to nurture that interest. Today, the initiative is backed by a range of stakeholders, from local community groups that provide mentorship to education institutions that offer dedicated scholarships for girls pursuing post-secondary tech degrees.
Despite this progress, gender disparities persist in Belize’s tech sector. National data confirms that male participation and proficiency in digital skills still outpaces that of women, especially among the 15 to 24-year-old age bracket. This gap makes initiatives like ‘Lead Like a Girl’ all the more critical to encouraging more young women to enter the field, advocates say.
Speaking to program participants, UNICEF Belize Representative Sajid Ali urged the young attendees to embrace their potential as future leaders in tech, emphasizing that the next great Belizean innovator could already be sitting among them. ‘Someone sitting in this room, she is the next innovator. She’s definitely from Belize. And she could be you,’ Ali told the gathered students.
For audiences wanting to learn more about the personal experiences of program participants who are already building their tech careers, Belize’s News 5 will air a full feature on the initiative during its 6 PM broadcast this evening.