About 1,000 girls have benefitted from training in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) held at Gambaga in the North East Region.
The beneficiaries were selected from six districts namely; East Mamprusi Municipal (Gambaga); West Mamprusi Municipal (Walewale); Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri (Bunkpurugu); Chereponi District (Chereponi); Yunyoo Nasuan District (Yunyoo) and Mamprugu Moagdiri District (Yagaba).
They were introduced to basic ICT skills and coding in commemoration of the International Girl Day in IT.
Communications and Digitalisation Minister, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful at the training said the country needs to take deliberate steps to change the status quo which makes women and girls lag behind and unable to participate in the digital space; where there are gross inequalities in work and wages.
“How do we participate in this world if we don’t know how to? We cannot continue to raise our girls to think that everything technological, digital, electronic are reserved for men only. When they are taught, they can learn, compete and excel in anything they put their mind to,” she said.
According to her, women overwork yet are underpaid, and many women do not find space to participate in decision making at all levels.
“The contribution of women to Ghana’s development is indispensable and we cannot achieve our goal of a ‘Ghana beyond Aid’ without adequately equipping women and girls for the post covid digital world of work.
“From education, health, trade, Agric to meetings and social interactions, sending and receiving money and paying for goods and services everything is now dependent on digital infrastructure,” she said.
The Chairman for the event, Chief Mba Taraana also admonished the young girls to utilise the knowledge acquired to enrich the society they live in.
The North East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, was optimistic the training will help curb the rural-urban migration amongst the young girls and motivate them to invest in their education.
A Student of Walewale Girls Model Junior High School, Juliet Apetigah, who had no prior experience in ICT, expressed gratitude to the ministry and partners for the initiative.
She said the training had broadened their knowledge and skills in ICT.
The best 100 girls were awarded laptops with certificates provided by GIFEC while the best 10 girls were given modems with a one-year data subscription.
The various schools of the best 10 girls will be equipped with an ICT laboratory.