The purpose of the United Nations (UN) is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. It is the largest, most internationally represented and most powerful intergovernmental organization in the world.
Watch this video to learn how the UN works →
Watch: How Does the UN Work? (3min)
Watch: How Does the UN Work? (3min)
Watch: 73rd UN General Assembly in 73 sec
Watch: 73rd UN General Assembly in 73 sec
Theme: Empowering women and girls in developing countries to thrive in the digital economy.
Choose one of the following challenges to focus on:
<aside> 🔹 Challenge #1: How can we enable more women and girls to access, create and influence technology by increasing digital skills and access to digital devices and the Internet by 2026?
The focus of this problem is on accessibility, education, and skill development. Watch the recording for Shaloo's tips on how to approach this problem →
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<aside> 🔹 Challenge #2: How can we increase women’s employment in the digital economy by 2026?
This includes building inclusive, transformative and accountable innovation ecosystems by investing in digital innovation hubs, enabling effective career paths, advocating for female policy actions and reforming accountability systems ensuring women and girls’ full participation in digital economy.
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<aside> 🔹 Challenge #3: How can countries provide women and girls with equal opportunities to thrive in the digital economy by implementing policies that support female inclusion by 2026?
This could include identifying government policies and/or societal norms that could be a barrier for women in the digital economy.
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In this video, Shaloo provides guidance on each of the challenge areas. The additional context she provides will help you develop a deeper understanding the challenge problems
Feb 27/28 - Session 1/4: Understanding the problem through perspective building and MECE frameworks.
March 6/7 - Session 2/4: Solving problems using mental models.
March 13/14 - No Session
March 20/21 - Session 3/4: Sharing recommendations, getting feedback, and identifying gaps.
March 27/28 - Session 4/4: Global Challenge Retrospect
🚩 Challenges Due: March 26 @ 9pm
Our contacts at the UN sent us the following resources that they felt could be helpful as you tackle the challenge.
Websites
Facts and Figures: Economic Empowerment
Advancing Financial Inclusion to Improve Access to Education
Reports
Reimagining girls’ education through STEM.pdf
Women and the Digital Economy.pdf
Poverty Is Sexist- Why Educating Every Girl Is Good For Everyone.pdf
The Cost of Not Education Girls.pdf
Annual Review of Rootcauses of Gender Inequality 2015.pdf
Unerlying causes of the digital gender gap and solutions.pdf
Gender-Digital-Equality-Across-ASEAN.pdf
Data Sets
Datasets Archives - UNICEF DATA
EduView Dashboard - UNICEF DATA
Narrow your scope. Don't "boil the ocean" and try to solve the problem for the entire world. Each geography will have different challenges to overcome. Focus on one area, develop your understanding, then optimize for success.
Key questions to ask yourself at the end:
Understanding the cultural implications is extremely important. What you think could work well in North America might not work in a Syrian refugee camp. Train your mindset of having diverse perspectives.
Look at what other organizations in the world are doing successfully. Use them as case-studies to help support your ideas. Go into detail to help the UN understand where other organizations are successful, and what parts we can learn and adopt.
The feasibility of your recommendation is critical. You can have a real impact. Understand everything that goes into your idea, including costs, resource requirements, timeline, and execution requirements. Ask yourself, "does that make sense?" Just because it looks good on paper, doesn't mean it can work in the real world.
Get real-world data points by interviewing people who have experiences in the geography and culture you're focusing on. Since you may not be able to go to your target geography, how can you learn from others?
To do well in this challenge, you'll need to understand the ecosystems. This is the exciting part. You will need to learn about how governments and societal structures operate in the geography you're focusing in.
Be tactile in your recommendation and action plan. What organizations can they work with and how? What resources will they need to execute your plan? How much will it cost? What are the barriers to overcome? Be detailed and specific. Imagine you were implementing this solution.
Support your ideas with data and facts. Do the calculations to make sure your recommendation is economically viable.
Don't forget about the government. Are there any implications you'll need to think about? What are the policies and regulations that you should be aware of based on your ideas?
Simplify and get to the point. No long paragraphs. Be concise. Our partners at the UN don't have time go through 50 slides. Have your main deck be 15-20 high-value slides, then you can add an "appendix" area at the end with supporting information.
If you're reaching out to people in the real world, be appreciative on their time, show gratitude, be respectful, and be prepared if they agree to talk with you. I can't emphasize how important this is. Train your communication skills. Be intentional.