Zimbabwe will mark the 2026 International Girls in ICT Day with a high-profile national commemoration at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo on 15 May. The gathering, confirmed by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), will draw students from schools, colleges and universities across the province to join a global push for gender equality in technology.
This year’s theme, “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future,” turns the spotlight on artificial intelligence as a tool for transformation – and on the urgent need to place young women at the centre of its design, deployment and governance.
International Girls in ICT Day was launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2011 to counter the persistent underrepresentation of women in the digital workforce. More than a decade later, women remain a minority in ICT careers, particularly in AI and data science roles. While the initiative is girl-focused, Zimbabwe’s commemorations have increasingly embraced boys as allies in the conversation, recognising that inclusive dialogue is essential to dismantling systemic barriers.
Zimbabwe has woven the annual event into its national digital transformation agenda. Under National Development Strategy 1 and 2, and guided by the recently unveiled National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2026-2030), ICTs are positioned as critical enablers of economic growth. The vision goes beyond basic digital literacy: leaders across the sector want girls to emerge not merely as technology users, but as innovators and trailblazers who craft solutions for agriculture, manufacturing, health, governance and entrepreneurship.
The rotating national event has already traversed provinces such as Matabeleland South, Midlands, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Masvingo and Matabeleland North. Bulawayo now steps into the spotlight, with organisers targeting over 2 000 young women and girls for a day of knowledge-sharing, mentorship and practical pathways into Zimbabwe’s digital future.
As the country accelerates its AI ambitions, the message from POTRAZ and its partners is clear, the girls gathering at NUST this May are not just participants but they are the architects of a more equitable, intelligent tomorrow.
