The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP) has been honored at the Females in Tech (FEMITECH)
conference, for her outstanding leadership in tech and women empowerment.
FEMITECH is an annual conference organized to commemorate
International Women’s Day to honor females in the technology space while
highlighting opportunities in ICT that are readily available for women.
The event, which was organized by the Ghana India Kofi Annan
Centre of Excellence in ICT(GI-KACE) brought together accomplished women in the
tech space. Director General of Ghana India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in
ICT(GI-KACE). It was under the theme “Advocating for Gender equality through
ICT”.
Other individuals awarded for their role in promoting
technology also included Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann Dean of School of
Engineering Sciences, University of Ghana and the quiz mistress for the
National Maths and Science Quiz. Dr. Lucy Agyepong, Dean of Engineering,
Academic City University College. Others include Winfred Kobin, Chief Operations Officer and
Co-Founder of Superfluids Labs, Regina Homu, CEO of Soronko Academy, and Nana
Yaa Konadu of Peace FM.
Dr. Collins Yeboah Afari, in his welcome remarks, said the
event was also aimed at connecting and inspiring collective efforts for a more
inclusive, sustainable, and innovative ICT ecosystem. He said as society
acknowledges the challenges women face in the tech space, it was important to
support them against discrimination and bias while celebrating the unique
perspective, skills, and talent women brought to the table.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful in her presentation applauded (GI-KACE) for
providing a forum for women of diverse backgrounds to share their knowledge in
technology. An industry that will not only help raise a generation to take up
the mantle in the tech space but offer opportunities for women to thrive. She
said, “women make up a small percentage of the ICT workforce”.
The Minister also cited a UN report where Maths, Science, and
Technology would constitute a major component of work by 2050. She stated that
in a world where technology has become an integral part of life, more
initiatives need to be taken to encourage women to pursue careers in
technology and to ensure the country has a diverse and inclusive team that can
create products and services to cater to several needs.
Present at the event were the Director General of NITA, Richard
Okyere Fosu, Suzanne Diop, Head of Nestle Business Services, and Fatomaumatou,
MD, VLISCO. Other participants include some notable individuals,
representatives from various institutions, and SHS students.
