Girls care about the same problems our world leaders do – and they’re stepping up to solve them. Today, on the 8th annual International Day of the Girl Child, we’re celebrating girls everywhere for their courage and their creativity in the face of these enormous challenges.
As part of our celebrations, we’re kicking off a series featuring young global problem solvers. Meet the Technovation Girls helping people overcome opioid addiction, reducing pollution from vehicle emissions, and supporting survivors of domestic violence – and so much more.
Meet 4 incredible Global Problem Solvers
Over the next three months we will be putting the spotlight on the incredible girls, families, and young adults making a real change in their communities. These problem solvers aren’t waiting for permission or instructions from governments or schools – they’re getting to work with the tools they have today. Using the expertise that comes from looking a problem in the face every single day, these innovators are contributing to global solutions by starting at home. Focusing on the local issues caused by global problems, these young women are starting to effect change in concrete ways that build to something much bigger.
Get to know 4 of them:
Team Restorers
Problem they’re tackling: Female Genital Mutilation
Team Restorers tackled the problem of Female Genital Mutilation in 2017 with their app iCut. Targeted at their community in Kenya (which still records high rates of the illegal procedure), iCut connects affected girls with medical and legal assistance and also offers a panic button feature to alert local authorities.
Team Sparrow
Problem they’re tackling: Opioid Addiction in Ohio
Team Sparrow live in central Ohio, an area hit hard by the opioid crisis. This past year, they developed Novo, an app that helps users who are addicted to opioids monitor and stay on track with their recovery using a medication tracker, access to local and national hotlines, and meditation and breathing exercises.
Team LPSN
Problem they’re tackling: Women’s Safety and survival
Team LPSN from Spain are helping make streets safer for women with their app When & Where, which is an emergency response app that tracks women’s location and flags strange activity (like suddenly changing course, switching destination, quickly moving away from destination) and alerts a trusted contact or emergency services.
Team Avogadro
Problem they’re tackling: pollution and carbon emissions from traffic
Team Avogadro is tackling carbon emissions and pollution in Phnom Penh Cambodia by encouraging users take Cyclos (an iconic part of their city’s infrastructure) instead of driving. By promoting Cyclo use over driving through Pou-Cyclo, Team Avogrado is addressing pollution and a primary cause of climate change head on – and preserving the unique character of their city and transportation.
We are immensely proud of the girls who participate in our program, and girls everywhere who stand up to make the world a better place. Girls are leading movements, connecting with their communities, and supporting one another to build a better future.
What problems do you care about?
What would it look like if we all tapped into our courage and resilience like these girls? What could we accomplish if we agreed to try to solve one small piece of a global issue? What would happen if we all jumped in to make a change? Let’s find out.
We hope you’ll join these girls and the movement to tackle global problems. Join as a student building a community-focused app, or as a mentor guiding girls as they learn and build, or even lead the program in your community – we’re all working together to support girls and work with them to build a better world. Registration for 2020 Season of Technovation Girls is now open. We’re proud to launch this season in partnership with Salesforce, Adobe, Uber, and GM