The Minister for Communications and Digitisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has disclosed that the 2021 Girls in ICT initiative will be held in the Western North Region under the theme “Connected Girls, Creating Brighter Futures”.
The programme forms part of the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) initiative to empower girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of ICTs.
This will enable both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector.
Also, it is celebrated annually to exhort young girls and demystify the myth that girls and young women cannot pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and ICT related subjects.
Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful revealed that a total number of 1000 girls are being trained with basic ICT skills from the nine (9) districts of the Western North Region plus 1 district from the Western Region (i.e… Prestea Huni Valley Municipal) making a total of ten districts.
In 2019, the Girls in ICT programme was held in the Western region in 17 centres for five hundred and sixty (560) students from 9 districts. The students were trained in coding, using tools like CSS HTML, among others.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Sefwi Wiawso, who doubles as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, has urged the girls and young women to make Science their choice whenever they are selecting courses to study in the second cycle and tertiary institutions.
Dr Kwaku Afriyie encouraged that he will dedicate his resources to support the female students financially.