Crudu Ileana

About

Ileana Crudu is a remarkable young woman from the Republic of Moldova, originally from Chisinau, who broke gender stereotypes in the technology field by participating in the GirlsGoIT initiative, supported by UN Women. In 2016, at the age of 19, after graduating from high school, she completed a year of programming training, becoming an ambassador for the project to encourage other girls to learn coding. Her experience has changed the perspective of hundreds of young Moldovan women, promoting self-confidence and women's participation in the ICT sector, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality. She studied Knowledge Engineering at a university in the Netherlands, where girls represent only 10% of students, and continues to advocate for women's involvement in technology. She was nominated for the World Economic Forum Awards and invited as a speaker at international forums with participants from over 20 countries, promoting STEM education among young people. Her career demonstrates how she combines creativity and logic in programming, proudly stating that she "codes like a girl" to revolutionize the world. Although she left to study abroad, Ileana remains anchored in Moldovan values, inspiring generations of girls from her country to overcome traditional gender roles. Her community work, through summer camps and 5-week academies with dozens of participants from Chisinau, highlights her commitment to an IT future accessible to all. Ileana's personal life intertwines with her passion for innovation, where technology becomes a tool for female empowerment in the Republic of Moldova and beyond its borders.