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As part of Priority Africa (Flagship Program 4 of its operational strategy) aims to reduce the digital divide on the continent and meet the challenges of inclusion for African women.

Second Cohort: Launch of the "Summer Camp"

The in-person training, or summer camp, for the second cohort of the "African Women in Tech and AI" project, which aims to strengthen the capacities of African women entrepreneurs in artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-applied leadership, will take place from 1 to 13 July 1, 2024, at the International Artificial Intelligence Center of Morocco, "Ai Movement," in Rabat. The training programme of the summer camp will cover topics such as strategic foresight applied to AI, AI project management, leadership, development of start-up projects, benchmarking, and market research in Africa, benefiting nearly 80 women scientists from 28 countries across the five regions of the African continent.

At the conclusion of the summer camp, participants will have the opportunity to present their entrepreneurial projects to a panel of professionals from Ai Movement, the OCP Foundation, and UNESCO. This panel will select the projects that will receive incubation and financial support from the OCP Foundation, with approximately 15 projects to be selected for the 2024 cohort.

This summer camp was preceded by a six-week online training programme in the spring of 2024, which was followed by the same 80 women scientists. This online training covered topics such as data science, programming languages (deep learning and machine learning), and AI ethics. The 80 participants for the 2024 cohort were selected with the support of the African Permanent Delegations to UNESCO and the African National Commissions for UNESCO. Participants will subsequently join a network of innovators sharing values oriented towards sustainable and inclusive development for the continent.

First Cohort: Pilot Phase

During the pilot phase of the project in 2023, 34 women scientists from 11 African countries benefited from training and support, including an online training course and a summer camp at the Ai Movement Center in Rabat, Morocco. Eight entrepreneurial projects were selected with the support of the OCP Foundation, Ai Movement, and UNESCO's Priority Africa and External Relations Sector. These eight projects are currently being incubated at the Ai Movement Center, highlighting the spirit of innovation among African women.

Background of the project

The "African Women in Tech and AI" project was officially launched in 2023 and is jointly implemented by UNESCO, the Ai Movement Center of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and the OCP Foundation. The project is funded by the OCP Foundation for a total amount of 500,000 USD and will span over a period of three years (2023-2025). This innovative initiative is implemented as part of UNESCO's Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2022-2029), specifically its Flagship Programme 4, which focuses on "New and Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development in Africa”, with a particular focus on the following key objectives: (1) Improve the capacity of African countries in the adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), and (2) Strengthen gender equality in the design and use of AI systems. It also aligns with UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
 

The project aims to strengthen AI, data science, AI-applied leadership, and AI ethics skills for 150 African women professionals, while raising awareness on the strategic foresight approach to artificial intelligence. Through their scientific training and technological expertise, these women will be supported in developing AI-based solutions and projects that will transform their communities and address challenges and issues specific to the continent in sectors such as agriculture, health, education, social security, cybersecurity, renewable energy, animal health, finance, employment, and culture. These efforts will align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations of the African Union's Agenda 2063, "The Africa We Want."

The "African Women in Tech and AI" project is the first project developed under the financial and strategic partnership agreement signed in July 2022 between the International Artificial Intelligence Center of Morocco, Ai Movement, and UNESCO's Priority Africa and External Relations Sector. In November 2023, the Ai Movement Center was officially designated as a Category 2 Center under the auspices of UNESCO, the first of its kind in Africa. 

URL: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ai-movement-launches-its-second-summer-camp-african-women-tech-ai-program-rabat