LocationsA Step Towards the Digital Future: Girls in ICT Day Marked
May 19, 2026
On the occasion of International Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia, together with its partners, organised two events to bring the world of technology closer to girls and young women and encourage them to consider education and careers in this sector.
At an event organised in cooperation with the Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment, held at the Ložionica, 50 primary school students from Belgrade had the opportunity to explore a modern space dedicated to innovation, creative industries, and digital skills development.
As part of the programme, an interactive workshop on cybersecurity was led by Natalija Milićević, Programme Director at HUB 201, a research and development centre focused on innovation and cybersecurity. During the workshop, the students learned how to protect personal data, recognise online threats, and respond to potential digital security risks. The focus was not only on knowledge, but also on understanding how to use technology safely and with confidence.
The second event, held at the Palace of Science in Belgrade in cooperation with the ‘ZORA’ Network of Women in ICT in Serbia, brought together 60 secondary school students from Belgrade, Obrenovac, and Ruski Krstur. The event focused on sharing experiences, gaining practical knowledge, and engaging in discussions with women working in the IT industry. UNDP supports the network through the project “Ending violence – empowering change”, jointly implemented by UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and UN Women, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and with the support of the Government of Sweden.
Participants chose between parallel sessions. One was led by entrepreneur Tijana Tašin and focused on application development using artificial intelligence, where students were introduced to new approaches such as “vibe coding” – a method of building applications by describing ideas in simple, natural language to an AI assistant. The second session was led by Marija Ilić, co-founder of the gaming studio Two Desperados and President of the Serbian Games Association, together with Olga Mirković Maksimović, an expert in digital products and artificial intelligence. They discussed career paths in the IT sector, challenges women face, and the opportunities the industry offers.
A joint cybersecurity workshop was led by Jelena Bratić, Information Security Architect for the EMEA region at Microsoft. She introduced students to careers in cybersecurity, explained how to protect data and systems, and highlighted opportunities in this dynamic and increasingly in-demand field.
Through these two events, designed for different age groups, the focus was on creating initial contact with technology while empowering girls and young women to see themselves as part of this field. Such encounters, grounded in hands-on experience and personal insight, are often the first step towards sustained interest, learning, and more confident career choices in ICT.
