Communications and Digitalisation Ministry Trains 1000 Girls In Bono Region

Training is underway for 1000 girls selected from various districts in the Bono region by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation after completing training for another 1000 girls
in Bono East region.

In all, 5000 girls from five regions, namely, Ahafo, Savannah and Northern Region, will be introduced to and trained in basic ICT skills and coding this year.

“In each Region, our objective is to train 1000 young girls and 100 ICT/STEM teachers in basic
computing, coding,scratch HTML etc. and at the end of the year, we would have trained 5000 girls and 500 ICT/STEM teachers. These girls are selected from schools in all districts in the
beneficiary regions so every district will feel the impact of these digital maidens. What a difference this will make!! There is no doubt that digitalisation is the game-changer and with
our additional function of “Digitalisation”, we are determined to grow our digital economy at
all costs”, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.

The training in coding will give the girls the opportunity to explore the world of technology, through the creation of websites, computer games, interactive arts, mobile apps, and
animation stories, using various programming languages.

As part of strategies to both ensure that Ghana achieves the Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) 5, and Ghana’s ICT4AD Policy on bridging the gender digital divide, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, through its agencies – GIFEC, NCA and the Kofi Annan ICT
Centre of Excellence, has expanded the scope of the GIICT event.

After their training, which also introduces them to scratch and basic structures of programming, the girls participate in a competition.

This competition is expected to test the knowledge and ICT skills acquired during the training
period, including website design, development of games, coding and simple ICT applications.

Interestingly, over 60 percent of the girls trained, have no prior knowledge or experience in the use of computers.

The Girlsin ICT programme, wasintroduced in 2012 by the International Telecommunications
Union to empower and encourage girls and young women to acquire digitalskills and consider
studies and careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies.

Ghana, has adopted this initiative and observed it on a regional basis. It has already been celebrated in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Volta, Western, Western North, North East,
Central and Oti Regions.

• The program involves the Training of Trainers who in turn train the girls.

• Training of 1,000 girls from districts within the selected region.

• Mentorship session, that provides a platform for women working in the ICT field, to share their personal life stories and professional experiences, with the young girls. This encourages and guides the girls in their future career choices.

• open day experience, where the best 100 girls are brought to Accra for a week to tour Mobile Network Operators (MNO)’s, ICT firms and interact with women in the workspace to see the practical application of what they learnt in a live work environment. This has not been held since the outbreak of the pandemic but has been held this year for Western North, North East, Central and Oti regions to cater for the
backlog.

• Prizessuch aslaptops, modems, etc, are awarded to girls who excel in the competition and, ICT labs are also established in the schools of the girls who excelled.

The Ministry has also trained 200 teachers in Bono East and Bono, as part of these celebrations for the sustainability of this program in their various schools. 300 teachers will
be trained in the Ahafo, Savannah and Northern Regions this year.

AWARD PACKAGE

• The top 100 girls will receive laptops but the best 3 will receive a cash award and other incentives

• Top 20 girls will have Cyber labs built and equipped in the schools where there are no
labs and refurbishments for those that have labs or in their district

• Teachers of top 10 girls will receive laptops.

• Regional and District Girl Education Officers will receive laptops.

• There will be a special award for a special girl