Communications Ministry trains 9,000 girls in ICT

More  than 9,000 girls across the country  have so far been trained in basic computer skills and other programmes to offer them the opportunity to explore the world of technology.

The training, an initiative of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, in partnership with its agencies, formed  part of a deliberate step to bridge the gender gap in Information Communication Technology (ICT) since women  form more than half of the country’s population.

It formed part of the Girls in ICT project being implemented by the ministry with the overall goal  to encourage young  girls to take up careers in the  ICT industry as well as become touch bearers in the  life transformation agenda.

The sector Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said this in a speech read on her behalf  at the opening of a five-day Training of Trainers workshop for about 100 teachers in Tamale yesterday.

It was read by the Director of Human Resources Management at the  Ministry, Austin Hesse.

The training is to equip the teachers with digital skills to enable them to train about  1000 selected girls in the region as part of the Girls in ICT project.

STEM, digital inclusion

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful observed that despite the revolution of ICT and its numerous opportunities, women  were still lagging behind.

To reverse the trend, she said the ministry had initiated aggressive steps to whip up the interest of young girls to take up  studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) which were  perceived to be the preserve of their male counterparts.

Commendation

The Northern Regional Minister,  Shani Alhassan Shaibu, lauded the ministry and its partners for the Girls in ICT training initiative, saying it would go a long way to  bridge the gender digital gap in the region

He urged the teachers to take the training seriously so that they could impart the knowledge to the young girls who were the direct targets of the project.

Writer's email:mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh