Mariami Lomtadze

Mariami is a 20 year-old currently studying at Carleton University, living in Ottawa, Ontario. They were born and raised in Georgia - a country where Mariam found gender inequality to be a huge issue. As a girl interested in STEM, she felt she always had to fight a little more to prove that she was as competent as her other male peers. Determined to ensure that no other girls would go through anything similar, Mariami started volunteering as a WomenTechmakers ambassador in Georgia, organising different events to empower women in our community. In Canada she is a volunteer for the Women in Computer Science club at her university, and uses her technical skills to take part in gender equality-related hackathons. For one of those hackathons, her team of five remarkable women created a prototype android application to show the brutal realities young brides face regarding access to education, women's rights, domestic violence, and employment gaps.

One action Mariami would like everyone to take:

“I know exactly how much it means when someone else believes in you. Become that person. Show young girls your support, and give them a word of encouragement. Sometimes, young girls give up on their dreams because of the stereotypes and unnecessary challenges in their environment. If we want this to stop happening, show them that you are there for them. And trust me, sometimes one person's faith is enough.”

Follow Mariami on Twitter.