Training has begun for 1,000 selected girls from the 33 districts of the Eastern Region under the Girls-In-ICT program of the Ministry of Communications and Digitization.
Meanwhile, 2000 girls have already benefited from the program this year in the North and Savannah regions. Training areas include basic ICT skills, coding, web design, social media and internet security, game development and animation development.
The areas include Kwahu Affram Plains North, Kwahu Affram Plains South. Kwahu South, Kwahu East? Kwahu West? Atiwa East? Atiwa West? Fanteakwa South? Fanteakwa North; Abuakwa South; Abuakwa North; Birim Central? Kwaebibirm? West Akim and Achiase.
The rest are Akyemansa. Asene Manso Akroso? Ayensuoano? Birim North? Birim South; Demkyembour? Upper West Akim; New Juaben South; New Juaben North? Akwapem North? Down Manya Krobo? Upper Manya Krobo; Nsawam Adoagyiri? Suhum? Yilo Krobo? Akwapem South? Asugyaman and Okere
The Girls-In-ICT program was introduced in 2012 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with the aim of creating a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). ).
Ghana has celebrated this event in various regions every year since its introduction in 2012 and has educated 12,981 girls and women.
As part of strategies to ensure that Ghana achieves Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 and supported by Ghana’s ICT4AD Policy on bridging the digital gender divide, the Ministry of Communications and Digitization, through its services – GIFEC, NCA and the Kofi Annan ICT Center of Excellence (KACE), has expanded the reach of the GIICT event.
It is worth noting that over 60% of the girls trained had no knowledge or experience in using computers. This therefore brings to the fore the Minister’s effort to expand the program to reach more girls with adequate funding and resources from well-intentioned individuals and Organizations.
The program has the following components:
● Training of 100 selected Educators from all the selected Region
● Education of 1,000 Girls from all areas of the selected Region
● A mentoring session where women currently working in the ICT sector share their personal and professional experiences with the girls to encourage and guide them in their future careers and endeavours.
● A culminating event including: Awarding of Best 100 Performer Girls, Remarks by Coaches and Mentors, Honorable Minister’s Speech and Awarding of Certificates to all Girls.
As part of the incentive package, prizes like laptops, modems, etc., are awarded to the girls who excel in the competition, while the top three girls get cash prizes. In addition, ICT workshops are being set up in the girls’ schools that performed very well in the competition.
● An Open Day experience where the top 100 girls from the selected Region where the Program was held are flown to Accra for a week to tour the Offices of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), ICT companies, selected agencies MoCD and interact particularly with women in the industry.
The Ministry has also introduced Girls-In-ICT at the tertiary level to increase interest in ICT careers. This is done in partnership with Huawei Technologies, Ghana, SA Limited.
In September 2021, a selection of 50 (Fifty) students (Ladies) from the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) were taken through a ten (10) day training program in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and Security in Cyberspace.
These students participated in a residential training program from September 19 to 28, 2021. Students were divided into teams and challenged to develop business ideas and solutions to contemporary problems. Teams with the most critical national issues were awarded well-deserved prizes.
The Ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Huawei Technologies- Ghana, also trained 60,000 Girls High Schools in Asadi, Central and Eastern Regions on cyber security as part of the Girls-in-ICT program in October 2021.
The theme for this year is: “Girls in ICT – Digital Skills for Life”.