Feminist Approach to Technology

Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT) was established in 2007 to promote the inclusion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It conducts training sessions and workshops and advocates for girls in STEM. FAT envisages a world where the use, creation, access and innovation of technology is gender neutral. The organisation’s flagship project, the Tech Centre, offers technology classes to women and girls. These are combined with workshops on women’s rights, feminism and sexuality. FAT also works to create a girl-friendly technology environment through girl-led advocacy campaigns. It engages with a range of different community stakeholders to promote girls’ rights and leadership. The organisation works with schoolgirls, college students and girls who have left the formal education system. It provides counselling to girls and young women and works with parents and community members to gain support for girls’ rights and their inclusion in STEM. FAT has had a strong impact on its beneficiaries, many of whom have gone on to enrol in higher education and apply for jobs in the tech field. Over the years, FAT has seen a tremendous change in attitudes at the individual, family and community levels with respect to girls’ rights.