Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU’s) Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), Monday, commended Ghana’s efforts in the Girls in ICT (GIICT) program, which was introduced in 2012 by the ITU.
The purpose of the program in Ghana is to empower and encourage girls and young women to acquire digital skills and consider studies and careers in the growing field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
Since its inception, over 20,000 Ghanaians have benefited from this project including students, teachers, and artisans.
Ms. Bogdan-Martin made the commendation at the 8th World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC) organized by the ITU in Kigali.
The conference which opened on 6th June 2022 and is scheduled to last till 16th June 2022 is being held on the African continent for the first time. EVERY FOUR YEARS, the WTDC is organized to consider topics, projects, and programs relevant to telecommunication development. This year’s conference is on the theme, “Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development.”
Since the introduction of the GIICT program in Ghana, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation under the leadership of Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has expanded the reach of the GIICT program from 100 girls a year to 5000.
The initiative falls in line with the Ministry’s mandate to ensure digital inclusion of all as it will help the country in the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 4(Quality Education), Goal 5(Gender Equality), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and Goal11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) as well as the Government’s digitalization agenda.
Speaking at the event, Owusu-Ekuful reiterated Ghana’s commitment to the ITU as well as the vision of ensuring that all living in Ghana contribute to and benefit from the digital economy agenda.
She also indicated that the Government of Ghana would continue to introduce digital and security interventions that are fundamental to economic transformation and social inclusion in all sectors of its economy.