The Minister for Communication and Digitisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful says there is an urgent need to bridge the gender digital gap in the country.
This, according to her, is the reason why government, through the Ministry of Communication, is implementing the “Girls-in-ICT” project.
She added that the country is gradually shifting away from a manual regime to the digital space, hence the need to encourage more girls.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said this at the climax of a National ‘Girls-In-ICT’ training programme organised by GIFEC for about one thousand basic school girls and one hundred teachers drawn from districts across the regions.
According to the Minister, parents, chiefs, and opinion leaders have no choice but to support the Ministry by encouraging the girl child to develop an interest in ICT for their personal and career growth.
“We (government) are building a digital future and Ghana is gradually moving away from the manual to digital space. We need to demystify ICT for all and encourage girls to take interest in that field for the country to benefit fully from the digital transformation agenda and bridge the gender digital divide”, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekudul stated.
She further appealed to the Ghana Education Service among others, to put in place a system that will enhance girls’ skills in ICT.
On her part, the Deputy Minister for Education, Gifty Twum Ampofo, appealed to parents and families to create avenues at home to enable their children to have easy access to mobile phones to learn online.
She said parents should add it to their responsibilities because their children cannot afford these devices but cautioned the girls not to abuse the opportunity when given mobile phones.
At the end of the training program, an 11-year-old basic six pupil, Mohammed Rahimmah from T.I Ahmadiya Islamic School at Kpalbusi in the North-East Gonja District of the Savannah beat about 99 other girls to emerge the overall best in the Girls-In-ICT project competition in the region.
She went home with a cash prize of GH₵3,000, a plaque, certificate, and laptop.
Also, an ICT laboratory will be sited in her district.
Other award winners were Alfreda Frimpong and Salu Saratu Alele who emerged 2nd and 3rd respectively. Each received GH₵2,500, laptops, plaques, and certificates of participation.
ICT Labs will also be established in their districts.
The rest of the awardees (97 girls) were all given a laptop each and a certificate and plaque.
Meanwhile, 40 out of the 100 basic school teachers who were also taken through similar ICT training in Damongo, were awarded as best ICT teachers in the region.