Dbegotin Educational Foundation

Gender-based violence doesn't just harm bodies. It destroys futures. Girls facing violence at home, in communities, or in schools are pulled out of education, married off early, denied the chance to learn, dream, and build.

When a girl is forced into marriage, her education ends. When she faces violence at school, she stops attending. When her family believes her only value is as a wife, her potential is buried.

GYST exists because education is protection. When girls learn STEM, build technology, and discover their capability, they gain more than skills. They gain agency, voice, and pathways to economic independence that make them less vulnerable to violence and control.

The 100+ girls who built innovations this year aren't just engineers. They're girls who now see themselves differently, who have options, who can negotiate their futures. Education doesn't solve everything, but it opens doors that violence tries to lock.

This 16 Days, we stand with every girl fighting for her right to learn, create, and choose her own path.

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Join us today as we honour the girls, teachers, school leaders, and key stakeholders who participated in the GYST 2.0 Competition.

This recognition ceremony celebrates the dedication and innovation demonstrated throughout the programme, from initial training to final prototype presentations.

During the event, we will present certificates to students who completed the full programme cycle, recognize educators who coordinated GYST activities in their schools, and acknowledge the authorities that made this initiative possible at the grassroot level.

The ceremony will also feature student presentations showcasing selected innovations and remarks from programme leadership on the next phase of GYST, including the upcoming mentorship component launching in January of 2026. This moment matters because it affirms our collective commitment to creating pathways for young women in science and technology, particularly in communities where such opportunities remain limited.

The event takes place today, November 20th at 11:00 AM West Africa Time as a virtual gathering accessible to all participants and supporters across Nigeria and beyond.

Bridging the gender gap in the global tech and engineering sector is not just a talking point for us at the Dbegotin Educational Foundation. It is work we have committed ourselves to through the GYST Project, where girls in secondary schools are gaining real access to STEM learning, practical exposure, and the encouragement they need to see themselves as future innovators.

We are watching curiosity grow into confidence and early skills develop into genuine interest in careers that once felt out of reach. Over time, these investments will shape a more inclusive and competitive workforce for the continent, with more young women contributing to the solutions Africa needs.

This is the kind of future DEF is helping to build, and every girl who steps into a STEM space because of this work brings us one step closer to it.