Telecommunications and Technology company MTN Ghana has given the strongest assurance of its dedication to committing more investments into the annual flagship Girls In ICT project after supporting the initiative with some GHC15.6 million from 2021 to 2024.
10,000 girls and 1000 teachers in basic schools in North-East, Western-North, Ahafo, Bono-East, Bono, Savannah, Northern, Eastern, Greater Accra, and Ashanti Regions of Ghana have so far benefitted from these valuable investments.
Pledging more support for digital inclusion at the 2024 mentorship and awards ceremony organized to climax this year’s Girls in ICT program; MTN Ghana reiterated the power of creating a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to confront the barriers that continue to exclude them from the digital space.
The 2024 Girls In ICT project trained a hundred teachers who in turn trained a thousand girls selected from all 43 districts of the Ashanti Region, in basic hands-on skills in ICT; coding; designing websites; programming computer games and creating animated stories with an aim to build their interests in furthering their exploration of technology.
This drive which received wide commendation and applauds from the Girls In ICT Program and its beneficiaries, reflects MTN’s dedication to digital inclusivity and access which undergirds the company’s operations, investments and product offerings.
With a priority for selecting girls from typical rural and hard to reach communities; this program has engendered inclusivity bridging both the urban rural gap in access to digital literacy as well as the gender exclusion which tilts disadvantageously towards the girl child.
Mentorship and Awardees
The awards which marked the climax was preceded by a day of mentoring where accomplished women in the Sciences, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics shared their stories of possibilities in their career and professional lives to inspire the girls to aim high.
Out of a thousand girls, 10-year-old Success Joslin Dadzie from the Hwediem Basic School mesmerized the gathering emerging the best performing girl in tasks and challenges assigned to participants of the training.
She received a laptop, a plaque and a cash price of GHc 3,000 along with a second runner up and a first runner up who took Ghc2,000 and GHc2500 a citation and a laptop each.
The best 100 performing girls out of the 1000 each went home with brand-new laptop computers while all participants received certificates of participation.
Ministry of Communication and Digitalization
Congratulating the girls, Minister of Communications and Digitalization Ursula Owusu-Ekuful challenged all participants to be active change makers in the revolution to bridge the huge digital gender gap.
“Girls in ICT goes beyond a program. It is a deliberate mission to unlock potential and reshape the future for our young women. As technology transforms the world around us, we must ensure that our girls are not merely observers but active participants and leaders in this digital era,” she admonished.
Chairperson for the ceremony, Professor linda ofori an associate professor with the department of theoretical and applied biology of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology reiterated the need for parents to take a leading role in inspiring girls to develop a leadership mindset.
She described the initiative as essential and timely explaining that the exclusion of women and girls in fields of ICT and STEM does not only limit diversity but also restricts women from attaining the benefits that pertain to digitization
The Guest of honor, Elizabeth Appiagyei, a former Ashanti Regional Minister and former Member of Parliament for the Oforikrom Constituency challenged the girls to be resilient and unwavering in the face of challenges as they pursue courses in traditionally male dominated environments.
“Remember that no field is beyond your reach; no goal too high and no dream too big for you. With hard work, perseverance and belief in yourselves, anything is possible,” she advised.
Girls in ICT Program
The Girls in ICT project launched by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2012 has recorded momentous strides training young girls in basic schools to pursue education and careers in the rapidly growing field of information and communication technologies
To achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5 in education and gender equality, the program has enjoyed the strong support of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) Which plays its role as the technical resource provider and the Kofi Annan International Center for Excellence which provides the training content.
The project has been scaled to females in Tertiary Institutions where they are trained in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and Cyber Security to encourage them to seek jobs relevant to the 4th industrial revolution.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ivan Heathcote – Fumador
