On 23 April 2026, the BBC celebrated International Girls in ICT Day, joining young people around the world to explore how technology can make a positive difference. This year’s theme was “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future”, all about showing girls how they can use technology to change the world.
The day was organised by the BBC WiSTEM (Women in STEM) team, working with BBC STEM, and welcomed schoolgirls to BBC sites in Cardiff, London, Salford, Birmingham, and Glasgow
The day was packed with exciting, hands-on activities designed to show how fun, creative, and powerful technology can be, starting with a tour of the BBC Central Square.
Our learners took part in interactive AI workshops led by experts from BBC Research & Development. Using easy-to-understand tools like Sofie, they learned how artificial intelligence works—and how it can help people, not just computers! They also took part in a workshop activity that involved them helping to make an Eleven Labs AI Agent, then using Notebook LN to create an interactive podcast.
They also had the chance to step into the world of TV and radio; observing a live radio show recording like BBC Wales Cymru, crafting and uploading filmed footage from the day, and learning how technology supports storytelling behind the scenes using SOFIE inhouse software.
In special “Meet the Tech Heroes” sessions, learners met women working in technology at the BBC, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). They shared what their jobs are really like and how they got into careers such as software engineering, data science, and media and broadcast technology.
International Girls in ICT Day is led by the ITU and celebrated all over the world. In 2026, there was even a live international link between Albania and Brazil, which students could join online. One of the key messages of the day was clear: girls are not just technology users – they are future creators, designers, and leaders.
By focusing on AI for development, the event encouraged girls to think about how technology can be used fairly, safely, and creatively to help communities and solve real-world problems. The day gave our learners the confidence to imagine themselves as the future of technology—and the future of change.