‘Leverage transformative power of tech to create positive change in communities

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Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (middle) interacting with some of the students

The Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has encouraged girls to leverage the transformative power of technology to enable them to create positive change in their communities.

The minister expressed a strong commitment to transforming Information and Communications Technology (ICT) education for girls, emphasising the necessity for young females to adapt to the digital landscape in order to compete effectively both nationally and globally.

“Whether it’s developing apps, creating digital art, or solving real-world problems, the possibilities are endless,” she said during her visit to five selected ‘Girls-in-ICT’ training centres in the Ashanti Region, at the weekend.

The purpose of the tour was to cultivate enthusiasm and enhance appreciation among the participants of the Girls-in-ICT project, in accordance with the International Telecommunication Union’s Resolution 70.

This initiative aims to empower girls and women by providing them with essential skills in information and communication technology.

She mentioned the importance of giving the right skills to the girls which made the Ministry to expand the scope of the Girl in ICT programme from a day’s event to two weeks and train 100 teachers in every region to go back to their schools to teach.

The Minister announced that 1,000 girls from each region would receive training, and following a competition, the top 100 participants would be awarded laptops, while the best 10 would have computer laboratories established in their schools.

She expressed her satisfaction that within just one week of training, the students were capable of creating their own websites, developing games and animations, and had gained a solid understanding of cyber security, along with some foundational training in the field.

During her visit, the Minister witnessed firsthand how this initiative has effectively narrowed the gender digital divide, thereby creating opportunities for young girls to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The programme’s robust training modules include: Computer Programming -introducing participants to coding and software development fundamentals, Game Development providing insight into the world of game design and creation, Animation, encompassing teaching the art of digital storytelling and animation.

“There is also Scratch, aiming at familiarising girls with programming concepts through the Scratch platform, Website Development, which offers skills in website creation and design, and Foundational Digital Skills to equip participants with essential digital literacy competencies,” she said.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said the visit reaffirmed the government’s dedication to promoting gender equality and empowering young girls in ICT and to encourage them on their ICT journey.

She advised the participants to make full use of the Ghana Knowledge Skills Bank Portal to access an extensive range of online library archives,

FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI