By Stanley Senya
Accra, May 04, GNA – The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), has supported the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) with three hundred and seventy laptops to bridge the digital gender divide.
The support was to empower girls to have the necessary skills and confidence to achieve their goals, while encouraging them to consider studies and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Mrs Ama Pomaa Boateng, Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalisation who received the computers said in her remarks that the initiative would help both girls and boys in STEM.
The support was made available by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ and the GIFEC under Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.
She said the support would create an enabling environment for micro-enterprises to use digitisation to transform their economic situation for sustainable development.
“This will equip the next generation with the skills and tools they need to thrive in the digital age and contribute to the development of the country,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said the 2023 edition of the Girls-in-ICT-Day would see 1,000 girls being trained, in two batches of 500 girls every two weeks, and would be climaxed in the Savannah and Northern regions of Ghana.
She said the three hundred and seventy laptops for this year’s Girls-in-ICT-Day would be given to students in the Savannah and Northern regions.
Mrs Ramona Simon, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the Germany Embassy in Accra said, girls must be encouraged to continue practicing and refining their programming and computing skills outside training centres.
She said many of the girls do not have access to digital tools and resources in their schools or communities, therefore, there was the need for them to be trained in ICT to help bridge the knowledge gap on that score.
“With these laptops they can continue to learn and grow their skills and knowledge, which ultimately prepare them for a successful career in ICT,” she said.
She said GIZ believe in equipping young people with the needed digital skills to thrive in the 21st century and making sure everyone was on board.
The Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation has over the years organised the Girls-in-ICT Day, with the goal of inspiring and encouraging girls to pursue a future in ICTs.
The Girls-in-ICT-Day initiative was launched in 2012 by the Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to bridge the digital gender gap in the ICT sector.
This year’s Girls-in-ICT programme was on the theme: “Digital Skills for All”, with the aim of empowering young people to have the necessary skills, confidence, and support to achieve their goals.
GNA