• Microsoft and Education Plus launched Empower+, a free digital learning platform.

• The initiative targets young people in 21 African countries, especially girls and young women.

• The program aims to expand AI and digital skills as demand for tech talent grows.

Microsoft and the Education Plus initiative, supported by UNAIDS, announced on Tuesday, March 10 the launch of Empower+, a digital platform designed to strengthen digital and artificial intelligence skills among young people across Africa. Accessible online free of charge, the tool focuses primarily on adolescent girls and young women in 21 African countries, with the goal of reducing inequalities in access to technology training.

Also available on mobile devices, the platform offers modules covering basic digital literacy, emerging AI skills, and the use of technology in the workplace. The courses also link digital opportunities with awareness and prevention around HIV, a major public health issue affecting young women in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to Tiara Pathon, Director of AI Skills at Microsoft Elevate, the initiative aims to provide learners with the tools needed to succeed in a digital economy. She said that access to education and skills remains one of the most powerful drivers of opportunity and that Empower+ seeks to equip learners with the knowledge required to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The launch comes as demand for skilled talent continues to grow. According to the World Bank, nearly 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. Yet gender gaps remain significant. UNESCO data show that women and girls are 25% less likely than men to use digital tools for basic purposes, four times less likely to know how to program, and thirteen times less likely to file a patent in the field of information and communication technologies.

In this context, expanding access to digital skills is seen as a key factor in reducing inequalities and promoting economic inclusion. Online training programs could therefore help open more professional opportunities for young women in a sector that remains largely dominated by men.

Samira Njoya