Break stereotypes – Ursula urges 980 female IT grads

The Minister of Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has urged young girls to prove their worth and correct stereotypes that limit their participation and career development in the Information Technology (IT) sector.

The minister said that girls and women are more capable of making a difference in the IT industry when given the needed push.

Speaking at the 2nd edition of 2019 Girls in ICT Day in the Central Region, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful noted that the era of male dominance in IT disciplines is gradually taking a downturn, as much space is being created for women and girls to explore their fullest potential.

“Everybody says that girls and technology don’t mix, our role is in the kitchen and it’s the boys that play with gadgets. So, we want to break that myth and live what we’ve all been saying that ‘what boys can do girls can do better’,” she said.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said that it is motivating to have young Ghanaian women champion the change in ensuring gender balance in the digital space. She said the current generation has been exposed to greater opportunities to advance.

“You have more opportunities than I had. If you say you can’t do it, you can’t do it. If you outline yourself and you work hard, you will achieve it”, she entreated the girls. The minister noted that the impact resulting from the initiative is tremendous.

A total of 980 students from 14 districts participated in the event held at the University of Cape Coast, Central Region. The Girls in ICT Day was on the theme: “Expanding Horizons; Change attitudes”, and is being championed by the Ministry of Communication.

“We will continue to champion the celebration of the Girls in ICT initiative to whip up the interest of our daughters to enable them to acquire ICT skills to enhance their opportunities as they develop careers in the ICT industry to make them competitive on the job market. 

“We will hand over the baton from the Central Region to Oti Region. The celebration in the Oti Region will be held in the 2nd Quarter of 2020. We want Oti Region to make it even better than Central Region,” she added.