For All Women and Girls: Lucia Masunga Mwanzalima believes technology can transform rural communities
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#ForAllWomenandGirls is a rallying call for action on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In Tanzania, the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI), implemented by UN Women in collaboration with the Ministries of Gender, ICT, and Education in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, the African Union Commission, and the International Telecommunication Union, and supported by the Government of Belgium, equips girls and young women aged 17 to 25 with coding, digital literacy, and leadership skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
Lucia Masunga Mwanzalima from Zanzibar is using technology to bridge gaps in rural agriculture and inspire young women to join the digital world.
Lucia Masunga Mwanzalima at the AGCCI – Binti Dijitali Coding Camp in Zanzibar. Photo: UN Women.
From a seed of passion to building tech solutions
Lucia Masunga Mwanzalima, 25, is the youngest of four children and the first in her family to attain higher education. Today, she volunteers as a Livestock Officer at FarmBase in Zanzibar, where she focuses on promoting sustainable farming practices and improving animal health.
Her journey into technology began unexpectedly. After completing her secondary school examinations, Lucia enrolled in a short computer course while awaiting her results. As she built her skills, family members and neighbors soon began seeking help setting up email accounts, fixing phones, and connecting to social media platforms - and her passion for ICT was born.
“At first, I thought technology was just using Word and Facebook,” she said, laughing. “I didn’t know it could build the future.”
Her community's trust in her abilities sparked her curiosity in technology and set the stage for her future goals.
When Lucia first heard about coding, she was intrigued but unsure. "I asked myself, what is coding? Why is it important? Can anyone learn how to code?" Driven by curiosity and a desire to deepen her digital skills, she joined the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) coding camp.
At the camp, robotics became her favorite subject. "Programming a robot and seeing it respond to instructions was incredible. It showed me how coding and engineering can solve real-world problems," she says.
Lucia quickly turned her new skills into action, developing a simple web application that allows users to track and manage daily tasks.
Reflecting on her experiences with livestock farmers who often needed urgent help while the nearest veterinarian was hours away, she developed a concept for a web application that connects farmers with veterinarians, providing rural communities with faster access to animal health services and critical agricultural information.
"I want to build technology that solves real-life problems," she says, sharing her dream of developing even more tech-driven solutions to transform agriculture and empower rural communities.
Lucia presenting her group project during the AGCCI - Binti Dijitali Coding Camp in Zanzibar. Photo: UN Women.
Centering women in the future of STEM
Lucia points to the importance of challenging stereotypes and building confidence to increase women’s and girls’ participation in STEM fields. Recent statistics show that women make up only 18% of STEM professionals, and she says more girls need to trust their potential and push beyond societal expectations.
"Tech is all about problem-solving, creativity, and learning. There’s a place for everyone in it," she says. "I encourage girls to start small, dive into what excites them, and surround themselves with supportive people."
Beyond that, Lucia emphasizes the critical role of engaging boys and men as allies in promoting gender equality in STEM.
"By educating themselves and others about gender equality and actively promoting inclusivity, men and boys can help build a stronger, more diverse, and innovative STEM community where everyone can thrive," she adds.
Lucia also highlights the need to transform education systems to better support girls in ICT.
"Schools should move beyond theory and provide girls with real, hands-on experience through coding clubs, workshops, mentorship programs, and improving access to computers and the internet, especially in rural areas," she says.
The Beijing Declaration: Closing the gender digital divide
"The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action reminds us that women and girls deserve equal rights and opportunities in education, leadership, and technology," says Lucia.
She believes that initiatives like the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) are essential to advancing the goals of the Beijing Declaration by promoting women's digital literacy, aligning with the Beijing+30 Action Agenda’s call to ensure that women and girls can fully reap the economic benefits of the digital revolution by bridging the digital gender gap and providing equal access to technology, financial services, markets, and networks.
For all women and girls… equal opportunities to create solutions that change the world
Lucia’s dream is for all women and girls to have equal opportunities to learn, lead, and succeed — to be confident, independent, and free to pursue their ambitions, especially in technology and leadership.
“My message to other women and girls interested in pursuing a career in the ICT sector is to keep learning, keep growing, and never give up. The world needs your ideas, your creativity, and your leadership."