 A new initiative by the ITU and UN Women is tackling the under-representation of women and girls in ICTs. From a field of 360 incredible nominees, seven winners stood out at this year's GEM Tech Awards. Let's take a look at these technology trailblazers. Just as our culture needs rebooting, our history needs rewriting. Women in African history is an e-learning tool, an interactive multimedia platform highlighting the role of women in African history. It's one thing to have good information. It's another thing to put the information where people can access it. That's where platforms become important. So you have to create a platform that is both relevant but also accessible. I Merit is an innovative project in India that gives underprivileged young people detailed IT training and then gets them working. 30 years ago, nobody believed you could do IT in India. Today, most people don't believe you can do it with rural, minority youth and women. We can build a hundred million dollar business but the social impact is long term and it allows young girls to get married later because they are of a real asset to their community. BCS Women is a network of IT professionals swelling the ranks of women working in the field. It's Citibank, one of the biggest banks in the world and I fixed their computer systems way back in 1985 in the middle of the night by myself and how proud can you be of that? Other winners include the digital literacy campaign. In just four years, it's 153 participating organisations have established a global network of 20,000 telecentres, they've now trained more than a million women in computer skills. Take Back Retech is building a safe online space so women can unite to fight the violence against them. Nigeria's digital girls clubs are showing girls there are opportunities in IT for development and personal advancement. What we're trying to do is to create the largest platform of connected women in Nigeria. It's all about content. It's about content that is important to women. Just using a fairly simple SMS platform to communicate content that women need. Sipaf is tackling entrenched discrimination in the Dominican Republic. Robotic workshops are sparking a fascination in technology and mobilising the imaginations of young girls. Para que acercándose a la ciencia y la tecnología, asuman y toman un arma que haga posible que rompan al fin la discriminación y el círculo de pobreza donde se encuentran. These first gemtech awards recognise and celebrate the power and potential of ICTs to transform lives for women and men everywhere. We need all of you to join in that effort so that these inspiring gemtech winners and others working at the forefront of digital inclusion are leading a turning point for girls and women's empowerment through technology.