Skillher Blog

Every journey starts somewhere. Sometimes, you know exactly where you are going. Other times, you simply know that you are ready to move, even if you are still figuring out the destination. And sometimes, what you need most is a good coach. Someone to help you pause, ask the right questions, see things differently and find your next step. That was the idea behind SkillHer Coach . We wanted to create an AI-powered system where women could access personalised support around some of the things that shape everyday life: wellness, career and business . A coach they could return to when they had a question, needed to think something through, or simply wanted a little guidance along the way. The first version was intentionally simple. At its heart was the conversation: you came in, chose an area of interest and started talking with the Coach. And that was a meaningful place to begin. But the more we thought about the women we were building for, the more we realised that a conversation, howeve...

The SkillHer Skills Acquisition Workshop (SAW) 2026 is officially underway! This year’s programme marks an exciting new chapter for SkillHer as we combine practical skills development with technology to create a more engaging and accessible learning experience for women. We are grateful to be implementing this year’s programme with the support of Tech Impact Club Africa (TIC Africa) . This partnership is supporting us to strengthen the SAW programme while also investing in the upgrade of SkillHer Coach , our AI-powered mobile learning and coaching platform. Through this support, we are working to make SkillHer Coach an even more useful companion for participants—supporting learning, access to resources, engagement, and ongoing development beyond the classroom. Preparing Our Facilitators A strong learning experience begins with well-prepared facilitators. As part of the SAW 2026 preparation, our facilitators participated in both virtual and physical training sessions designed to prepa...

Every year, International Literacy Day reminds us of something fundamental: the ability to read, write, understand information, and communicate is not simply a basic skill. It is a gateway to opportunity. For millions of women and girls, literacy can determine whether they can confidently navigate education, access information, pursue employment, manage a business, understand their rights, or make informed decisions about their lives. But today, literacy means more than being able to read and write. Literacy in a Changing World The world around us is becoming increasingly digital. We search for jobs online. We learn through digital platforms. We complete applications, manage businesses, communicate with customers, access financial services, and find important information through our phones. This means that digital literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, and information literacy are becoming just as important as traditional literacy. A woman may know how to read, but still stru...

Last week, we brought back SkillHer Hotseat with a question inspired by a recent conversation making the rounds on social media in Nigeria. A post about whether it was appropriate to address a prominent business leader by his first name sparked plenty of reactions online. Beyond the debate itself, it got us thinking about a broader question: What does professional respect actually look like today? Is addressing someone by their first name disrespectful, a sign of confidence, or does it depend on the context? We took the conversation to the SkillHer community, inviting our members to share their thoughts and engage respectfully with different viewpoints. And the response was highly engaging , with members bringing in perspectives shaped by culture, professional experience and different workplace environments. Here are some of the thoughts shared during the discussion. Respect Is More Than a Title Uju believes respect should not be reduced to what we call someone. “I think respect shou...

Every year, World Humanitarian Day gives us an opportunity to pause and recognise the people and communities working to make the world a little better, often in difficult circumstances and without expecting recognition. At its heart, humanitarian action is about people. It is about compassion, courage and the willingness to respond when others need support. It reminds us that creating a more hopeful world is not always about grand gestures. Sometimes, it starts with one person choosing to help another. At SkillHer, we believe that empowering women with skills, opportunities and support is one way we can strengthen communities and contribute to lasting change. When women have access to the knowledge, resources and opportunities they need to thrive, the impact often extends beyond the individual. It can influence families, workplaces, businesses and communities. Whether it is creating access to learning, connecting women to opportunities, providing a supportive community or simply c...

When we introduced SkillHer Coach , our goal was never simply to build another AI tool. We were responding to a challenge we had seen repeatedly through our work at SkillHer. Across workshops, community conversations, mentorship sessions and programmes, one thing became increasingly clear: while learning opportunities are important, what many women need just as much is consistent guidance between those moments. Questions don't only arise during a training session. They come afterwards. How do I prepare for an interview I wasn't expecting? How do I stay motivated when progress feels slow? How do I balance personal wellbeing with growing responsibilities? Where do I even begin? SkillHer Coach was born from the belief that support should be available whenever those questions arise, not only when a programme is running or a mentor is available. Since then, we've continued learning alongside the women who use it. One of the biggest lessons has been that growth is rarely linear. ...