Suriname school library workers and their daughters engaged in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) activities last Thursday to mark Girls in ICT Day. The programme at the Telesur Training Centre included presentations, interactive sessions and ICT-related games under the national theme ‘Expanding Horizons for Mom and Me’.
Girls in ICT Day is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union, of which Suriname is a member. The purpose of the Girls in ICT Day is pushing the boundaries and behaviour of girls and young women within the ICT sector. It is also intended to steer girls towards a career in ICT.
This year, Suriname celebrated Girls in ICT Day for the fifth time. The Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism partnered with the ICT Association, the Telecommunications Authority Suriname (TAS), Telesur, DEF- Suriname, Mati fu Tego foundation and The Probitas Foundation.
Ms. Wendy Jap A Joe is one of the examples of women excelling in the ICT sector. She is the acting director of the Telecommunication Authority Suriname (TAS), who has great pleasure in her work and learns new things every day. Roy Belfor, representative of the Telecommunications Company Suriname, Telesur, said that ICT was very important today. He also indicated that there were many opportunities in the ICT sector, but due to the fact that there wee still too few women actively involved and holding jobs in this sector, they miss out on fully benefitting from the opportunities.
Hon. Andy Rusland, Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism, indicated that the development of telecommunications in the past 30 years has grown significantly. Compared to 20 years ago we can now share information quickly and efficiently. He pointed out that besides convenience and growth, there were also risks associated with the use of ICT, urging users to be on alert. According to the Minister, it was very important to take concrete actions to interest girls and women in ICT so that Suriname could be an example to the rest of the world. ICT is as necessary as any other study, stated Minister Rusland.
Other activities to commemorate the Day included presentations on education and career opportunities in the ICT sector; how to safely use the Internet; interactions with female role models from the sector; and the Kahoot quiz to test the knowledge on ICT. There were also various workshops that covered assembling a personal computer, the possibilities of a 3-D Printer, Robotics, and monitoring cars that the authority uses to monitor the frequency spectrum in Suriname. Participants also had an opportunity to engage in gaming. The day ended with a game ‘My mother is the best’. In this quiz, the knowledge of both mothers and daughters was tested on ICT-related subjects. All participants were provided with certificates.
