As the 10th annual International Girls in ICT Day approaches on April 23, 2026, the CARICOM Girls in ICT Partnership is finalizing preparations for a full slate of cross-regional activities designed to expand opportunity for young women in the digital space.
Founded to address persistent gender imbalances in the tech sector, International Girls in ICT Day is observed globally every year, with a core mission of encouraging more girls and young women to pursue academic pathways and professional careers in information and communication technology – an industry that has become the backbone of modern work, global communication, and international commerce.
This year’s regional celebration, coordinated by the CARICOM Secretariat, centers on the unifying theme: “Empower, Educate, Elevate: Building a Future-Ready CARICOM with Girls in ICT.” The official opening ceremony is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time, with featured addresses from key stakeholders including CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett, youth representative Shakiah Lewis, and International Telecommunication Union representative Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava.
Event organizers project robust participation from across the 15-nation bloc, bringing together a diverse cross-section of attendees: secondary and post-secondary students, K-12 and college educators, leading tech industry professionals, regional and international development partners, and community organizers. The gathering is intentionally structured to create open forums for authentic dialogue, exchange of lived experiences, and co-creation of actionable strategies to narrow and ultimately close the gender gap in technology and digital-focused careers.
All day on April 23, a full schedule of virtual programming will be streamed live to global audiences via CARICOM’s official digital channels and the Restore A Sense of I Can (RSC) platform, making the event accessible to participants who cannot attend in person. The lineup of sessions includes a “Youth Spotlight: Next Gen Leaders Speak” panel featuring young women already working in Caribbean tech, a moderated discussion on “Achieving Gender Parity in the Age of AI,” hands-on interactive coding workshops for beginners, and open roundtables that unpack the ongoing systemic and cultural barriers girls and women face when entering and advancing in the ICT sector.
As the Caribbean Community advances its ambitious regional digital transformation agenda, event organizers emphasized that inclusive initiatives like Girls in ICT Day are critical to ensuring that marginalized groups are not excluded from the benefits of the digital transition. By equipping young women with the confidence and technical skills to thrive in tech roles, the region as a whole strengthens its competitive position in an increasingly digital global economy.
The CARICOM Girls in ICT Partnership is a multi-stakeholder coalition that brings together representatives from national government ministries, CARICOM’s core institutional bodies and their affiliated partners, international development agencies, youth-led organizations, women’s advocacy groups, and established ICT-focused nonprofits and programs.
Any individual interested in joining this year’s celebration can register for the event by scanning the QR code included on the official event promotional flyer.