The mentorship training was organised in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation on the theme: ‘Access and Safety’ was held in Accra last Tuesday.
The beneficiaries were drawn from the Central, Oti, Western North and North East regions to participate in the day’s programme aimed at exposing them to the company’s operations to help build and strengthen their capacity in ICT.
As part of the training, the mentees were made to tour the company’s cell sites, observe the indoor monitoring systems and also had an interactive session with employees to gain direct experience of ICT and engineering.
Persisting gender gap
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ATC Ghana, Yahaya Yanusa, said after the event that more needed to be done to bridge the inequality gap.
“With inequality persisting through the 21st Century, the need for diversity, ensure equity and inclusion of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is dire,” Mr Yanusa said, noting that the ATC would play its role in furtherance of the cause.
He said it had become necessary to empower more girls, especially those in underserved areas to have a first-hand experience on ICT.
“We believe our actions here today, coupled with other initiatives such as our Digital Communities Learning Centres currently in 10 communities across the country, will go a long way to help bridge the disparity not just for now but into the future by bringing more girls into STEM and ICT roles all the way to leadership positions,” he said.
The CEO said ATC Ghana was committed to the Girls in ICT initiative to help bridge the national gender gap in the digital space.
He said it would also help to empower young girls in considering careers in the ICT field.
Experience
An 11-year-old girl, Mana Hiratu, the youngest among the participants, expressed excitement for the opportunity to gain mentorship on career development.
Miss Hiratu said it would help in developing her for the future.
“Looking at how technology is changing the world, I expect to acquire new skills to help build up my future,” she said.
Laudable initiative
For her part, the Central Regional Girls’ Education Officer, Priscilla Christabel Eshun, commended ATC Ghana for the laudable initiative.
Ms Eshun said it would help bridge the digital divide and empower girls to help develop society.
She urged the students to effectively participate in ICT training programmes to enhance their knowledge in technology and digital services.
Girls in ICT
The International Girls in ICT Day was set aside by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to encourage females to take keen interest in the digital economy.
It followed its view that science, technology and innovation are key drivers of our increasingly global and digital society.
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