The general lack of coding skills in Africa has inspired one technology entrepreneur to set herself the target to train one million women and girls from across the world in thirteen years.

At the BCX Summit hosted in Johannesburg today, Mariéme Jamme, founder of iamtheCODE, called for support for her goal.

"It is time for us Africans to work together. Coding is a 21st century skill and every young girl growing up today in our society should have access to it, but only with time, investment, commitment and compassion can we allow this to happen. There are girls growing up today in South Africa who are extremely poor, neglected and forgotten by society. It is only with time that we can make a difference in people's lives and I believe technology is an enabler for young women and girls in Africa. We cannot design solutions when we forget young girls and young women. AI will have a profound effect on the way we design solutions and women and girls must surely be a part of that."

iamtheCODE says it has trained women and girls aged between 9 and 40 and older in coding that has helped to prepare them for the job market.

The organisation says its methodology and mentoring programs have been used In Europe, South Asia, Latin America and In Africa by over 400 creative spaces from 50 countries and 105 cities.

Jamme says the power of coding has to spread to all 54 African countries and iamtheCODE tracks the progress of all those trained.

"We can all think about 2030 and what that time will look like if thousands of young women and girls come to the United Nations and say BCX, Oracle and others employed me and now I use my skills to generate income. We need to think about the future."

Jamme describes iamtheCODE as the only African organisation recognised by the United Nations to use technology as a tool of human and economic empowerment.

"What I did is I went to the United Nations and I told them that the only way you can include people especially young women and girls today in South Africa and Senegal, Brazil, China, or even Japan is to include them. "

She says her work will make an even greater impact with collaboration and support from organisations and private citizens from all around Africa and the rest of the world.

"We are looking for impact and it can happen if we Africans work together and decide that by 2030 we would like to have 1 million women and girl coders. This can grow to two million or even ten million. We can't work in silos anymore and we need to invest in young women and young girls. Let's give hope to people. I personally cannot do this alone and I need your help. Our young women and girls from around the world deserve opportunities. If you want to see the next Marieme Jamme we need to invest in these girls. It is a moral imperative and I hope next year when we organise an event like BCX Summit we will have ten or fifteen thousand new female coders."