Government is tackling gender digital issues – Ayorkor Botchwey

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has assured that government is bent on addressing the gender digital divide, by bridging the Information Communication Technology (ICT) gender gap.

According to her, this formed part of the government’s firm resolve and commitment in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) four and five.

They are “Ensuring Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promoting Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All” and “Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering all Women and Girls”, respectively.

Mrs Botchwey gave the assurance at the opening ceremony of the Huawei digital skill training for female students and residents of the Ga-Central Municipality, in Accra, on Monday.

Held on the theme: “Huawei Seeds for the Future-Women in Tech,” the programme was organised in collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Huawei Technologies Ghana and the Ga Central Municipal Assembly.

The initiative is aimed at motivating women and young girls to consider careers in ICT and other Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related disciplines.

It is also to deepen China-Ghana (SINO-Ghana) bilateral relations and equip women and girls with ICT skills to enable them to thrive in the modern world.

Mrs Botchwey indicated that the collaboration was a step in the right direction as it was linked to the government’s bid to enhance efficient teaching and deployment of ICT at all levels of the country’s educational system.

“Bringing tech to our communities is a huge step as we strategically position our country to use ICT to accelerate our national development,” Mrs Botchwey said.

She said “It breaks income and social barriers, expand opportunities for everyone and provides the government with the capacity to help improve lives and livelihoods.

“Government is committed to using ICT Education to transform the country’s agro-based economy into a knowledge-based one, through the effective use of ICT tools for the expansion of the base of the national economy and for the creation of employment opportunities for the youth”, Mrs Botchwey said.

He said that the opportunity given to the female students was a commendable initiative, hence, and extolled Huawei for focusing on the future of women in technology.

Mr Tommy Zhou, Managing Director of Huawei Technologies, indicated that the initiation of the programme was because the company sought to promote ICT education and motivate more girls to consider taking up careers in STEM while contributing its quota towards the achievement of the SDGs.

The Managing Director said the first part of the workshop would focus on offering training in basic coding to Senior High School ladies while the second would be on training businesswomen and traders in the Municipality on financial technology to empower them to go digital with their businesses.

Mr Zhou encouraged participants to take the training seriously, to enable them to expand beyond their current borders.

Mr Mohammed Bashiru, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ga Central, lauded Huawei Technologies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, for rolling out such an impactful initiative in the municipality.

MrBashiru used the opportunity to charge the female students to make the most of the programme in order to add value to themselves and the country at large.