Accra, Sept. 14, GNA – Three hundred girls from 23 senior high schools in the Ashanti, Bono Ahafo, and Western North regions have had the opportunity to learn and develop their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to bridge the gender gap in the course.
This forms part of Stanbic Bank Ghana’s partnership withthe Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Women in STEM (WiSTEM) 2023boot camp, organised from September 4 – 8.
The boot camp, on the theme: “Innovation and Technology for STEM Education in Ghana: Equipping the Girl-Child’’, is an annual programme intended to empower the girls and young women in the course.
At this year’s boot camp, students were also taken through reproductive health, personal grooming and financial literacy sessions.
The highlight of the camp was the ‘Stanbic/WiSTEMChallenge, which came with some exciting prizes for the young delegates.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, attended by researchers, professionals, academics, and students,Madam Jemila Abdulai, the Head, Digital and e-Commerce, Stanbic Bank, acknowledged the critical role STEM played in the contemporary technological environment and reiterated the Bank’s commitment to encouraging development in “this pivotal field of study.”
“Stanbic Bank is very grateful to KNUST and the WiSTEM for the unique opportunity to be part of this laudable effort to inculcate a love of STEM into senior high school girls.”
Stanbic Bank was committed to promoting education in the course as well as solving the gender gap to foster sustained inclusion and equality for future generations.
“Ghana is our home, and we will continue to drive her growth by investing in the next generation of leaders.”
Madam Jemila implored the girls to aspire higher and avoid self-censorship because sexual dimorphism only existed in books and the minds of people.
“Don’t limit yourselves in any way, keep those dreams alive because we share in your dreams and believe you can achieve everything you put your mind to,” she said.
“None of the reasons for the lack of women in STEM indicate that it is due to biological differences. Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game.”
“Let’s make it a point to leave here with a renewed mind, confident goals and a will to conquer the world of science”.
Stanbic Bank Ghana has partnered many academic institutions and FinTechs to deliver a number of STEM related projects which have given beneficiaries access to about 300 mentors and advisors across 48 disciplines and technical areas.
These have also provided access to structured training progranmes and curriculum, internship opportunities with Stanbic Bank, and other partners, and due diligence simulations for student entrepreneurs, most of whom are women.
GNA