GirlCode’s CEO and Founder, Zandile Mkwanazi, was awarded the Tech4Good award at the prestigious Wired4Women event.
The Wired4Women awards honour exceptional women who are using technology to make a positive impact. Zandile was recognised in the Tech4Good category for her leadership in empowering women in technology and driving significant social change with GirlCode.
Zandile stresses that the award is a collective achievement. “This award is not just for me, but for the whole team,” she says. “I am truly proud of the impact we are making in empowering women in tech, and I am deeply grateful for the recognition we are receiving.”
She adds that the achievement would not have been possible without the community that stands behind GirlCode. “We owe this success to the passionate volunteers who give their time, whether it is for helping us with raising funds, public relations, and marketing, or coaching and mentoring the next generation of tech leaders. We also thank the corporates who provide financial support. It’s this collective effort that drives our mission forward.”
Despite progress, the gender gap in the technology industry persists and statistics show that women comprise only about 25% of the technology workforce, highlighting the critical need for initiatives like GirlCode that strive to close this gender gap.
Last year, GirlCode marked a decade of progress in empowering women and girls through technology, helping to close the gender gap through coding bootcamps, hackathons, and mentorship programmes. The organisation’s mission is to equip young women with the skills and opportunities to excel in the digital economy, thus contributing to a more inclusive and diverse tech landscape.