On September 2015, world-wide leaders gathered at the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This Agenda recognizes the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as progress enablers and as a tool to promote gender equity, as its 5th objective promotes the utilization of technology to accomplish the empowerment of women and girls.

It is under that context that the National Digital Strategy at the Office of the Presidency of Mexico, in coordination with non-governmental organizations, industry, academy, and other government actors, presented "CódigoX" an initiative that seeks to promote the inclusion of girls and women to Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). The launching event of “CódigoX” was carried out on the celebration of the day of Girls in ICT on the 28th of April, in this event, multiple workshops and conferences for girls and women took place.

The workshops introduced their participants to coding, robotics, 3D printing, programming and entrepreneurship. During the conferences, the public was able to understand the constantly changing role of women in ICT, security in social media, challenges and opportunities in ICT, existing programs in Mexico for girls in ICT, the importance of engineering careers, and personal experience of notable role models in ICT most important companies. The event was successfully attended to by more than 400 people and followed via webstreaming by more than 3,000 viewers.

As part of the "CódigoX" initiative, Alejandra Lagunes, the Coordinator of the National Digital Strategy, launched a mentorship program in collaboration with Talentum-women of the Center of Investigation and Economics Teaching (CIDE) . The program brings together some of  the most experienced women working in ICT in Mexico with high school teenagers who have an interest in studying ICT related careers. The objective of the sessions is for the mentees to learn about the multiple opportunities that this sector can offer, and the way in which they can approach this sector whether it is by engineering and programing or arts and social sciences.

The future of “CódigoX” is to conform a collaborative community of women and girls that will promote inclusion throughout various activities such as mentoring and events. However; government, industry, academy and non-governmental organizations will continue to pursue efforts together in order to envision further actions to make a positive impact on the inclusion of girls and women on ITC.

www.gob.mx/codigox