March 9, 2023
Announcing the Bright Sky Partnership
Bright Sky Groundbreaking support for anyone concerned with domestic violence
Connecting for Good—enabling mobile technology to deliver social change
Empowering women & girls through technology
Investing in opportunities for women to flourish
Social Innovation
Supporting creative & powerful solutions to improve people's lives
Employee engagement
Connecting employees to impact their communities
News
September 18, 2022
MIT Solve Selects New Class of 40 Tech-Based Social Entrepreneurs Addressing Global Challenges with over $2 Million in Funding
May 12, 2022
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How June Sugiyama Of Vodafone Americas Foundation Is Helping To Change Our World
March 18, 2022
Women in Tech: “Use what you have and get what you need”
February 16, 2022
MIT Solve announces 2022 global challenges and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship
October 18, 2021
ChangeMaker Chat – Meena Palaniappan – Digital ChangeMaking
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The Power of Mobile Data
Mobile Data Serving Humanitarian Needs
Acting on Mobile Data Today
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Massachusetts Institute Of Technology: Demystifying World Issues One Connection At A Time
Solve at MIT 2022, the flagship event of MIT Solve, recently convened over 300 social impact leaders including 62 Solver teams as well as thousands of virtual supporters. The May 5-7 event featured plenaries where leaders from various sectors discussed the state of global issues and how technology can contribute to making us more resilient. Throughout the three days, Solver teams, members, and supporters joined over a dozen working sessions to discuss the progress and obstacles they were experiencing, and brainstorm how to scale their impact. Below are a few of the many notable takeaways from Solve at MIT 2022.
Pakistan start-up looks to break taboos around menstruation
Many women in the country remain uninformed about periods, but a social media-based project is targeting the problem.
Saba Khalid has set herself the goal of breaking some of Islamic Pakistan’s long-held taboos with the help of the internet, smartphones and WhatsApp. “Technology offers a sense of comfort,” she says of the work of Aurat Raaj, her Pakistani social enterprise. It educates women and adolescent girls about menstruation by means of audio messages sent via the WhatsApp social media platform.
Aurat Raaj, whose donors include the UN Children’s Fund, UN Women, the BMW Foundation and the Vodafone Americas Foundation, is not alone in its push to disseminate information about sexuality in conservative Pakistan.
Empower Women and Girls through Technology: a Holistic Approach
A future of true gender equality is possible. With all the studies and advancements to support women and girls in their education and careers, we have the framework in place to secure a future where women and girls can thrive. I whole-heartedly believe that by investing in the combination of women and technology, we are investing in the ability to make a lasting global impact.
Although we have made amazing progress the last few decades, there obviously is much more to do. Unfortunately, the uphill battle just got a bit steeper amid the pandemic of the last 18 months, causing increased stress on women and girls. Nearly 3 million women have left the workplace over the last year due to the pandemic. Difficulties have also compounded online in the digital realm. A recent study found 75% of girls surveyed said they experienced some form of online harassment or abuse. Over 22% of those who had experienced harassment said they shut down an online account due to that harassment. These numbers only reflect a fraction of other hurdles that women and girls face like internet access or the ownership of computers and mobile.