Minister for Communications and Digitalisation visits Savannah region to assess progress of Girls-in-ICT project
Date: 2023-05-07
Ghana’s Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula
Owusu Ekuful, has visited Damongo in the West Gonja Municipality of the
Savannah Region as part of her five-day working visit to the area to assess and
inspect the training processes of her Ministry’s ongoing Girls-in-ICT project
in the Region.
The initiative by the Communications Ministry forms part of a global effort by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to bridge the gender gap in the technology industry. In Ghana, “Girls in ICT” refers to the initiative that is aimed at encouraging and empowering young girls and women to pursue careers in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, under the stewardship of Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Communications and Digitalisation and MP for Ablekuma West has since 2017 adopted the Girls-In-ICT initiative as a platform to equip girls between the ages of 9 and 15 years (Upper Primary to Junior High School) with knowledge and skills in basic ICT and Coding.
She indicated that the training of the girls in ICT project started with the students in the Savannah Region on 25th April, 2023 with the girls in Damongo being the second batch of trainees in the region under the project which she wanted to come and witness for herself.
She explained that the second batch of trainees will be having their exams on 6th May, 2023 to enable them select the best performing girls for awards and also disclosed that the best 100 girls who will be the top performers will be awarded prizes of their own laptops.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said that, the reason for focusing on girls is to narrow the gender digital divide as it is just a fewer number of girls that have computer skills.
As part of motivating and encouraging girls to go into ICT, the Communications and Digitalisation Minister said they will bring experts in ICT to speak to the students to improve their interest as part of their mentorship programme for the girls to encourage them to see the importance of ICT in the utilization in the world of work.
The Minister as part of her visit also paid a courtesy call on the overlord of the Gonja kingdom to brief him on her mission in the region and to receive his blessings to enable her to carry out her activities.
The project which was introduced in 2012 is implemented with support from Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) as the technical resource provider, with training by Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence (KACE). The programme is also supported by MTN Ghana, National Communications Authority (NCA), American Tower Corporation (ATC) and others.
The initiative by the Communications Ministry forms part of a global effort by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to bridge the gender gap in the technology industry. In Ghana, “Girls in ICT” refers to the initiative that is aimed at encouraging and empowering young girls and women to pursue careers in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, under the stewardship of Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Communications and Digitalisation and MP for Ablekuma West has since 2017 adopted the Girls-In-ICT initiative as a platform to equip girls between the ages of 9 and 15 years (Upper Primary to Junior High School) with knowledge and skills in basic ICT and Coding.
She indicated that the training of the girls in ICT project started with the students in the Savannah Region on 25th April, 2023 with the girls in Damongo being the second batch of trainees in the region under the project which she wanted to come and witness for herself.
She explained that the second batch of trainees will be having their exams on 6th May, 2023 to enable them select the best performing girls for awards and also disclosed that the best 100 girls who will be the top performers will be awarded prizes of their own laptops.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said that, the reason for focusing on girls is to narrow the gender digital divide as it is just a fewer number of girls that have computer skills.
As part of motivating and encouraging girls to go into ICT, the Communications and Digitalisation Minister said they will bring experts in ICT to speak to the students to improve their interest as part of their mentorship programme for the girls to encourage them to see the importance of ICT in the utilization in the world of work.
The Minister as part of her visit also paid a courtesy call on the overlord of the Gonja kingdom to brief him on her mission in the region and to receive his blessings to enable her to carry out her activities.
The project which was introduced in 2012 is implemented with support from Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) as the technical resource provider, with training by Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence (KACE). The programme is also supported by MTN Ghana, National Communications Authority (NCA), American Tower Corporation (ATC) and others.
By: MoCD
