Accra-Ghana, Oct. 30, GNA – Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation has paid a working visit to the Girls-In-ICT training centres in the Eastern Region, to interact with the students.
She encouraged them to build their abilities in digital skills as well as in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and to choose careers in the ICT Industry.
The centres visited include Aburi Girls Senior High School (SHS), Mampong Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS), Koforidua Regional Library, Koforidua Ghana Secondary, e-Transform Project, Aburi Presbyterian Secondary Technical and Koforidua SDA SHS.
Excited over the impact of the training so far, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said Ghana had to demystify Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Digital Technology as well as allow women and girls know that their jobs are not only in the Arts.
She said: “We must demystify and introduce more girls to ICT/Digital Technology. We must let women know that their jobs are not only in the Arts, but even with the Arts, they need some form of digital skills to be able to succeed.”
She said the world was evolving, and the country could only develop when critical care was given to the young girls and platforms created for them to acquire digital skills.
“We seem to behave as if all things technical, mechanical, digital, engineering, science, mathematics are a male thing so women cannot excel in it.”
The minister noted that such thoughts had contributed to the huge gap between men and women in the field of ICT in Ghana.
“Thankfully, it is changing. About 10 or 11 years ago, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) decided that to make a difference and expose more girls to the wonders of ICT, we must be deliberate and focused,” she stated.
The JHS students wowed the sector minister after they took turns to walk her through some codes, scribes, games among others, they had developed.
The Minister who could not hide her excitement told Journalists that plans were underway to ensure that JHS and SHS have ICT centres where the students could access and acquire knowledge.
She disclosed that measures are also being put in place to ensure that every JHS and SHS student has his or her own laptop.
The girls assured the minister they would make good use of what they had learned and educate their colleagues.
