Young girls unlock tech skills through video games
A pilot initiative in Siem Reap empowers young girls to build digital skills, opening up new career opportunities and paving the way for a more inclusive future of the video game industry
8 December 2023, Siem Reap – Just three months ago, 15-year-old Non Sreynich had little in the way of digital skills, not much knowledge about video games or tech, and even limited access to digital devices.
“I could not adapt to basic technology, since we had no computer classes in school,” she said.
But today, the Grade 8 student from Aranh Raingsey School in Siem Reap has a big reason to celebrate – she and her three teammates have just beaten out 13 other teams to win a Game Jam, a competition to design and create their very own video game.
“After joining Skill4Girls, I realised that I am a fast learner,” she said. “I was with a computer almost every day, which meant I could explore. I had so much fun playing around with the tools on my laptop. Once we had a chance to create a game ourselves, I found out it was even more fun than playing them.”
She also had an important piece of advice for other young girls wanting to learn more about tech: “Don’t be afraid or hesitate. What boys can do, we girls can do too.”
The Game Jam is part of a pilot initiative of the Skills4Girls Game Changers Coalition, a new global collaboration between UNICEF and the gaming and technology industry that reimagines a more inclusive and diverse future of the sector. While girls represent about 50 percent of the world’s gamers, less than a quarter of the gaming industry’s workforce are women.
The pilot uses game development to equip girls with 21st-century STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) skills such as coding, design, teamwork, and storytelling, giving them the tools they need to become coders and designers. Cambodia, where girls continue to be underrepresented in STEM (39 percent), is one of six countries involved in the pilot.
Over the past 12 weeks, 49 girls from Grade 8 and 9 across four public schools in Siem Reap have had the chance to test out a new curriculum developed through the collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS), UNICEF Cambodia, and UNICEF Office of Innovation (OOI). The OOI conducted a five-day digital skills training for teachers, many of whom had themselves never played a video game before.
Using a software called Construct 3, the girls learned how to design and develop their own video games, giving them technical skills to help them access future career opportunities as well as help build self-confidence and resilience.
Tasked with creating a game that raises awareness and inspires action on environmental issues, the two-day Game Jam event gave the girls a chance to showcase what they’ve learned over the past months.
Sreynich said that what helped her team come out on top was not just their technical skills but also their teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership.
“Everyone in the group actively shared their ideas to ensure we created a good game,” she said. “Because we organized our roles and responsibilities clearly, we made a game that fit the environmental theme and got the highest score among the 14 teams participating in this competition.”
The games were judged by a panel of five experts, and the girls also received mentorship from 12 youth mentors, including former participants of UNICEF skills development programmes and students from local universities.
Impressing the judges with their game’s creativity, functionality, and message, the team said they wanted to design something that would educate people about the importance of waste management and conservation.
“We want to show that everyone can be a green hero by doing simple actions,” said Sreynich’s teammate, Grade 9 student San Sreynoch, explaining that to pass level one, players must pick up and throw away trash littering the street and clean up dead grass caused by garbage. On level two, players plant trees. “We hope that our game can inspire people to care more about the environment and take action to protect it.”
Sang Sok Serey, a motivational speaker and one of the competition’s judges, praised the girls for their talent and creativity and urged more children and youth, especially girls, to get more involved in the STEAM sector.
“Although they are young, they can create fun games and respond to the global theme of climate change,” she said. “I’m so impressed by how talented this generation is and how they can create things from their imagination. I firmly believe that more girls will be involved in the tech industry in the future.”
Norn Dany, a 17-year-old volunteer and mentor who helped the girls during the two days, agreed that girls should not feel held back by what has traditionally been a male-dominated sector.
“It's so important for girls to learn about the tech sector,” she said. “It's an industry not just for boys, girls should join it too!”
Proeun Pronh, the principal of Aranh Raingsey School, thanked the organizers and the supporters of the programme and the competition.
“I believe offering opportunities for children, especially girls, in 21st-century digital skills is crucial,” he said. “As technology continues to shape the learning landscape, it's essential for individuals to adapt and equip themselves with the necessary skills to meet job market requirements. We recognize the significance of STEAM learning for our students, particularly through activities like game creation, as it not only introduces them to new concepts outside the regular school curriculum but also ensures they are well-prepared with fundamental STEAM skills before entering college in the coming years.”
To build on the success of the pilot initiative, the MoEYS is discussing ways in which the curriculum can be integrated into the Local Life Skills Education programme to reach more rural students across the country.
For Sreynich, she has no plans to stop exploring what tech can do for both her own future and the future of her community.
“I can see that the technology sector is growing rapidly in other countries,” she said. “I dream of learning those skills and contributing to Cambodia becoming a more modern country too.”
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