Young Female Influencers (YFI), a group of young female change-makers, has held training for girls and young women to equip them with digital literacy skills and how to safely navigate the digital space.

The one-day intensive training, on June 02, 2023, was themed SecureTechSistars and brought together young females and students from basic and senior high schools in Wa, Upper West Region.

The participants were taken through sessions on Artificial Intelligence (AI), productivity software, and cybersecurity tools and techniques to enhance their work and studies and also ensure their security in cyberspace.

Miss Rahimatu Sumaila, a member of the YFI, said the training was aimed at encouraging girls and young women to take an active part in technology and digitalization processes.

She intimated that the world was fast globalizing with the advancement of technology and digitalization, and that females ought not to be left out in what many have described as 'men's thing'.

She encouraged that technology and digital innovations are not only limited to males but that females also have equal chances of leveraging digital spaces for their development.

"You see when it comes to ICT, we [females] are always timid, we are afraid that it is for only men.

"So, we [YFI] are now bringing it up to our young girls to mentor them, show them the way, [and] to also let them know that it is not only for men, [that] it is for all of us," Miss Sumaila said.

She encouraged the young girls to be bold and confident in themselves and work hard with a sense of purpose to achieve their career and life goals.

Abdul Fatawu Mahabub, an Associate Facilitator with Noni Hub, who facilitated the sessions together with young female tech enthusiast Winifred Zoyaar, encouraged participants to be wary of the activities of cyber bullies and 'scammers' and always exercise caution before engaging in online interactions.

Miss Ernestina Biney, SheLeads Project Coordinator with CARD Ghana, speaking during the session, encouraged the girls and young women to take up leadership positions in the schools, institutions, and social groupings they found themselves.

"To bold and confident enough to stand up and take leadership positions, don't say that if I go in for it, I may lose. It's part of life, but it gives you the experience to challenge yourself next time to even go higher than what you wanted before," she urged.

Some of the participants, who shared their experiences with Info Radio, said the training opened their minds to some opportunities and threats that were associated with cyberspace which they did not know.

Miss Ruby Nadibo, a participant, said she felt encouraged to pursue studies in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) because the world was currently resolving around technology and digitalization.

"Nowadays everything is done concerning ICT and if don't have the knowledge concerning ICT, it means you're lagging behind, so in order to catch up with the world, females should also have the zeal to learn ICT," she said.

"I am glad with the things I've learnt here today. All I will say is, we girls should not fear to go into ICT," Saani Ummul-Khayr Mwinebuobo, another participant, said.