CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Manorma Soeknandan has encouraged young girls to become more involved in the ICT sector. She was speaking at the opening ceremony for an event hosted by the CARICOM Secretariat to commemorate Girls in ICT Day 2015. Female students from schools in Georgetown including Bishops’ High School and the University of Guyana converged on the Secretariat’s Headquarters in Turkeyen for the ceremony aimed at highlight ICT and ways in which girls can benefit from exploring careers in this field.
Ambassador Soeknandan said more role models and persons willing to be mentors, were needed to encourage companies and businesses to open more opportunities for internships. According to her increased positive messages about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and ICT, and the role and relevance of ICT in schools at all levels and in particular, primary and secondary schools was also needed.
We need to speak more and help more girls join the ICT revolution,” she said.
She added, however, that joining the ICT revolution should not lead to devolution or devaluation of ethics and cultural values
I challenge you, starting today, to become active advocates of bridging the gender gap across the Region and the world. Advocate that girls and women study and train for and go after the high-level, high-paying jobs in the ICT industry,” Ambassador Soekanandan said.
The DSG encouraged those present to step outside their comfort zones and investigate the endless possibilities available in and through ICT. She listed specific areas such as medicine, bio-engineering, robotics, news, waste, agriculture and recycling which she said could make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.
She said that while ICT was the focus, she hoped they would choose a career path that makes them happy. She also advised that it was never too late or too early to start a business or to create something.
Girls in ICT Day at the CARICOM Secretariat is being hosted as part of a mandate from the CARICOM Heads of Government based on their decision that there should be increased activity with regard to ICT and Youth in 2015 (and beyond).
The day’s activities include plenary sessions in the Secretariat’s Large Conference Room, the viewing of an exhibition, including a live exhibition facilitated by CARICOM Staff, as well as displays by participating firms and institutions, in the corridors of the Secretariat. The Secretariat will also facilitate ICT demonstrations to participating students on how to set up an e-mail account and how to make use of CARICOM’s Social Media platforms.
International Girls in ICT Day is an opportunity for girls and young women to see and experience technology in a whole new light. It is also an initiative supported by International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Member States in Plenipotentiary Resolution 70 (Guadalajara, 2010) to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies (ICTs). This year’s theme is ‘Expand horizons, change attitudes’.
