Ministry of Communication and Digitalization holds Mentorship Program for Girls-in-ICT

Thousand girls from selected basic schools in Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region have participated in the Mentorship program organized by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization as part of its flagship program, Girls-in-ICT on the theme: Connected Girls, Creating Brighter Futures.

The Girls-in-ICT concept is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), aimed at encouraging Girls to opt for careers within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

The Mentorship Program which features women in the ICT Industry brought together mentors from various disciplines. They include Dr. Mercy Badu, Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, KNUST; Dr Priscilla Kolibea Mantey, Neuropharmacologist, Researcher, Senior Lecturer KNUST; Sophia Tandoh, Advisor, Regulatory Affairs, MTN-Ghana; Angela Adu Ampofo, Regulatory and Government Affairs, MTN Ghana.

The rest are Elizabeth Yaw Amuzu, Student, University of Cape Coast; Regina Farco, Instructional Technology, ICT Center Coordinator/CIC Manager.

Dr. Marion Okoh-Owusu, Regional Director, Ghana Health Service in the Western North Region who chaired the Mentorship program advised the girls to take their aspirations seriously, adding, that they can achieve whatever they put their minds to.

She emphasized the need for the girls to make judicious use of their time and refrain from procrastination.

The Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said girls continue to be under represented in Science, Technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She emphasized the need to improve basic digital skills in internet access to help find and keep jobs to close the growing digital divide.

Owusu-Ekuful said the Girls-in-ICT project has been put together to build awareness about the gender digital divide, support technology education and skills training, encourage more girls and young women to actively pursue careers in STEM.

She explained that the Mentorship Program is specially organized to break the stereotype related to gender and tech and encourage authorities to support girls to pursue education in Technology.

“For me, the Mentorship session is the best because it gives the girls first-hand information. It is not only boys who can work with technology and excel, you can too,” she told the girls.

Minister re-stated the need to build ICT Centers to help the girls to practice what they have learnt. She said the first 100 girls will all have laptops.

The Mentors took turns to share experiences in their jobs with the girls and urged them to take their studies seriously and remain focused.

Also present at the ceremony were the Chief Director, Magdalene Appenteng; Director, Policy Planning Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPBME), Veronica Sackey; Director, Reserch, Statistics and Information Management (RSIM), Alfred Nortey; Regional Director of Education, Stephen Kwaku Owusu.

The girls were presented with grooming packages at the end of the Mentorship program.

By Sheila Satori Mensa