In 2019, Ruth Atim, a former journalist based in Gulu-City launched Gender Tech Initiative Uganda to bridge the digital divide in northern Uganda. Atim, a finalist in the 2019 Isu Elihle Journalism Awards.
Two weeks ago, she was awarded for being the most outstanding alum in the Information and Communication Technology (2023-2025) among the YALI Regional Leadership Center-Uganda Chapter alumni in ICT. Uganda radio Network interviewed on what inspired her to join the tech industry and how the journey is.
URN: Why did you decide to start a tech company focusing on women and girls?
During my journalism work, I experienced how technology can be used to amplify voices. But sadly, very few women had access to these tools. So I created a space where women and girls could not only learn digital skills, but also feel safe, seen and supported in a male-dominated environment.
URN: How has your background as a journalist influenced your approach to digital training?
Journalism has taught me the power of storytelling and truth-telling. It gave me the tools to analyse, investigate and communicate complex issues clearly, and I bring the same mindset into our digital training. I help my participants and my trainees look at tech as a tool to tell impactful stories… as a tool to solve community challenges, and advocate for change, especially on issues affecting women and marginalised groups.
URN: What specific digital skills do you focus on during your training sessions and why?
We focus on digital literacy, cybersecurity, multimedia storytelling, data visualisation, social media management, basic coding. Some of these tools are practical and empower some of our participants to express themselves, access opportunities and contribute to the digital economy. We emphasise safety because many women face unique online threats that can be silencing.
URN: How do you address challenges related to language literacy or internet access?
We localise our trainings intentionally mostly because we had a project on women in the informal sector and most of them didn’t go to school, but they’re so skilled. So we trained them in the local language. Where internet is a barrier, we use offline tools. For example, in some schools where we had our ICT clubs, we went with our computers with the offline training resources. This ensures that participants who are hard-to-reach or without internet access can still practice.
URN: What kind of impact have you seen on women and children who have trained?
The transformation has been very beautiful. Women have started small digital businesses. Some are now confidently using social media to market their work and even engage in online discussions. Young girls who used to fear computers are now dreaming of becoming computer engineers and digital creators. And one of our participants even started a blog where she talks about her life and her stories from the village. This is a success story that we attribute to the trainings that we’ve conducted.
URN: Have there been any success stories that stand out for you?
One that inspires me the most is one of our young ladies that sells vegetables in the Main Market. After our digital marketing training, she started posting her videos on TikTok. She was a consumer of TikTok, but now she creates content for TikTok, where she sells organic products from Gulu. This has expanded her client base She’s also teaching fellow women to do the same, so the ripple effect keeps going.
URN: What are some of the barriers your participants face in accessing or using technology?
The cost of smartphones, poor internet and low digital confidence. Then there is stereotype that women cannot be online, especially for the less empowered. Then also that cultural perception that tech is not for women. These barriers are deeply interconnected because some girls are discouraged from attending because they’re told it’s a waste of time and it’s not feminine.
URN: What role do gender norms or cultural beliefs play in your work?
Gender norms shape everything from participation to the types of opportunities that women pursue. So, we intentionally design programs that challenge these norms by having female trainers, by having inclusive language and showcasing successful female tech leaders. We also encourage parents to join in. For example, when we have like ICT boot camps, we encourage parents to pick and drop their kids so they can see and interface with what their children have learned.
URN: How has the community responded to your initiative, especially the males?
At first there was some skepticism. When something hasn’t kicked off the ground, people are always skeptical about it. Will it work? Will it not work? But once they saw the benefits, like women gaining income, students improving school performance, they started becoming very supportive. And now we’ve seen fathers dropping and picking their children and encouraging their young girls to attend our ICT boot camps.
URN: What difference does it make when women lead tech initiatives in places like Gulu?
It actually changes everything. Women bring empathy, women bring local context and lived experiences into leadership. When women lead, they create safer, more inclusive spaces, and they also serve as role models for girls, showing them that they too belong in tech.
URN: Are there plans to scale or collaborate with schools, NGOs or tech hubs?
We are already partnering with schools to establish ICT clubs, and we are also having talks with other NGOs to co-host community-based digital literacy workshops. And we are also trying to explore partnerships with tech hubs in Kampala and see how we can bridge the rural-urban digital gaps and create mentorship pipelines, because you can’t work in isolation if you want to have a scaled-up impact.
URN: What do you think is needed to ensure more girls and women access digital education?
We need intentional investment in ICT, and more scholarships for women and girls. We need more safe learning spaces. We need gender-sensitive curricula and role models. Besides, the digital education must be accessible, relevant, and empowering. We urge governments and donors that they should treat this as a basic need and not as a luxury.
URN: What keeps you motivated in the tech sphere dominated by men?
So for me, as Ruth Atim, what keeps me motivated is the girls. Seeing their eyes light up when they open a computer. Seeing them excited and smiling when they type something and they are able to format the text. That joy, that shift in confidence reminds me why I do this. Also, I know we are breaking ground for future generations and we are changing narratives, and that I do it in male-dominated work space.
URN: What challenges do you face as you implement the project, and how do you handle them?
The challenge we experience as gender tech is funding and then also equipment shortages and internet limitations. We’ve learned to be resourceful. We reuse some of our devices. Personally, I have a computer that I always bring in when we need to go to work. We solve this challenge by partnering. Right now, we are partnering with Elephante Commons, who has given us space for or hub. And we also keep applying for grants. So when something doesn’t work, for example, and a grant doesn’t come in as expected, we adapt quickly. The passion that our volunteers bring also keeps us going. We don’t have a budget to pay staff, but we have volunteers who believe in our work. So, they keep showing up for our activities.
URN: How many have so far benefited?
So far 600 women and girls have directly benefited from our digital training programs. And I know thousands more have been reached through our social media channels, through our ICT clubs, and also through our online campaigns.
URN: What does empowerment through technology mean to you personally?
To me, it means having the tools, confidence and freedom to create your own path. Tech opens up worlds. It creates jobs. It provides networks and solutions. So for me, it’s not just about digital skills, it’s about unlocking potentials and dignity for these girls and the women that we work with and those that we also intend to work with.
URN: Can you share your personal journey into journalism and technology?
I start as a news editor for a community radio. I also worked as a newsreader, reporter and a program’s producer for a program focused on women and children. Then I realized that access to technology would amplify the stories more. I was also harassed online by one of my sources, and that also shaped my mindset and it made me leave mainstream journalism. I thought that if such harassment occurred to 9 out of 10 female journalists, and all of them decided to leave the profession, it would further reduce the number of female voices, and female bylines in the media, that is already male-dominated. So I started training myself in digital tools. I also attended a couple of leadership programs, the Young African Leadership Program. I also attended the Safe Sisters Program, a program for aspiring tech-savvy women. Afterwards, I also began training others. So that’s how Gender Tech was born, at the intersection of advocacy, storytelling, and technology.
URN: What do you think is the future of your training program?
We do envision building a rural digital academy, a permanent space for women and girls to learn tech in Northern Uganda. We are also working on an e-learning platform, which is AI-powered with content in local languages with tactile and sign language provisions, so that even learners who are in the remote areas and different abled can benefit.
URN: What advice would you give to other journalists or women thinking of starting similar initiatives?
What I would say is start with what you have. Use your voice. Use your network. Use your phone. Use whatever is within your reach. Don’t wait for perfection. And most importantly, build something that responds to real community needs. Above all, such spaces are very challenging and overwhelming. So, stay grounded. Collaborate, and don’t be afraid to lead.