The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will join the rest of the world to celebrate International Girls in ICT Day, which is observed annually during the last week of April.
According to the ITU, it will focus on ‘Access and Safety’ as key elements to engage the next generation with information and communication technology (ICT), even as this year’s theme reflects the world’s shared interest in empowering youth and girls to safely benefit from active digital life.
ITU recognizes the need to ensure girls and women enjoy equal access to digital learning opportunities, particularly in the least developed countries.
According to ITU’s latest data, globally, 57 percent of women use the Internet compared to 62 percent of men. And worldwide only 30 percent of tech science and technology professionals are women. If women are unable to access the Internet and do not feel safe online, they are unable to develop the necessary digital skills and engage in digital spaces, which diminishes their opportunities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields.
“Girls in ICT Day is a call to action to inspire the next generation of young women and girls to enter STEM careers,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “I call on all government, business, university leaders and others to do their utmost to support young women and girls and give them the chance to achieve their dreams.”
The global celebration and associated worldwide Girls in ICT Day events underline ITU’s commitment to encourage girls and young women everywhere to consider pursuing STEM career paths.
To date, over 600,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 12,000 celebrations of Girls in ICT Day in 195 countries worldwide.
“All over the world, girls and young women want to join the digital revolution. When we remove barriers of access and safety, women and girls can make remarkable contributions to and be empowered by ICTs. To put it simply: tech needs girls, and girls need tech,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau.
“Through International Girls in ICT Day, we want to use the power of partnerships to stimulate solutions and innovation. We invite partners to join the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition to help bridge key gaps to ensure the active participation of girls in ICT-related careers, and achieve our goal of fostering meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally.”