Ghana's ICT Program Empowering 100 Elite Students with STEM Career Aspirations
Empowering Ghanaian Girls in STEM: The Girls in ICT Program
The Girls in ICT program, an initiative adopted from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), is currently active and ongoing in Ghana. This program is a significant part of the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations' mission to empower girls and young women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers.
The program targets top-performing girls across the country, with a focus on the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions. The aim is to bridge the gender digital gap and encourage these girls to pursue careers in STEM.
The Girls in ICT program offers a comprehensive training in various digital skills, including basic ICT, coding, website design, social media safety, and game development. Recently, about 100 top female students have benefited from this training.
One of the key activities of the program is mentorship and exposure. The girls have had the opportunity to visit MTN Ghana's headquarters for hands-on mentorship aimed at inspiring and equipping them to shape the nation's digital future. They have also attended the Telecel Ghana National Girls in ICT Open Day, which allowed them to observe technology workplaces and engage with women professionals in the industry, thereby gaining practical experience.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has further strengthened the support network for these girls in technology by hosting 100 of them as part of mentorship efforts in the ongoing Girls in ICT program.
The Ministry is partnering with ATC to provide mentorship to these 100 top-performing girls as part of the Girls in ICT program. This mentorship is aimed at boosting their STEM ambitions and digital skills, contributing to national efforts to increase female participation in technology fields in Ghana.
While the larger Ministry initiative to empower girls and young women in STEM has not provided new facts, it is clear that the Girls in ICT program is a significant step towards achieving this goal. The program continues to provide training, mentorship, and industry exposure to girls, encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM and take on leadership roles within the tech industry.
The Girls in ICT program, under the auspices of the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, is deliberately targeting top-performing girls in the country, working towards bridging the gender digital gap and fostering an interest in STEM education and self-development. This comprehensive initiative offering digital skills training, such as coding and website design, also prioritizes mentorship and exposure opportunities, like visits to tech workplaces and engagement with industry professionals, to inspire these girls and equip them for successful careers in STEM.
