Approximately 936 girls from various parts of the Volta Region have been given hands-on training in Information Communication Technology (ICT) in a bid to open up the countless opportunities the industry presents to them.

The program, which is being implemented under the globally endorsed ‘Girls in ICT’ policy will see several girls across the country trained to acquire important skills in the continuously growing global ICT industry.

According to the Minister of Communications, Dr. Omane Boamah, in this phase of the program, the girls were selected from the various districts in the Volta Region, and trained at Community Information Centres situated at Hlefi, Kpando, Nkonya, Akatsi, Jasikan, Aveyime, Afiadenyigba, Tegbi, Weta, Dzodze, Worawora, Agbozume, Peki Avetime, Vane and Tsito.

The girls were selected from (12) districts in the region, namely: Kpando, Biakoye, Akatsi South, Jasikan, North Tongu, Keta, Nkwanta North, Ketu South, South Dayi, Ho West and Ho Municipal/ District Assemblies were involved.

The Minister explained the policy during this year’s Girls in ICT Day celebration that has been replicated in over 140 other countries.

“… the Girls in ICT Day celebration is a time when girls are offered a unique opportunity to assess the impact of ICTs on their own lives and gives them the opportunity to reflect on the importance of ICTs to their future careers. It is a day where girls gain hands-on skills in ICT development, and realize that ICT and its techniques can all be fun and a creative way to make a difference in the digital world,” Dr. Omane Boamah told dignitaries gathered at the event in Ho on Wednesday.

“ Twenty years from today when they share their stories as engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers, entrepreneurs, politicians, religious leaders among others, I am confident this interaction premised on the Girls in ICT Day will feature prominently,” he said.

It is fair to say that given the opportunities to grow, learn and adapt, women will dominate the ICT landscape in the coming decade where it is estimated that there will be two million more ICT jobs than there are professionals to fill them.

Girls in ICT Day has rapidly grown into a global movement with an estimated 3, 500 events organized in 140 countries, reaching 111, 000 girls. The good news is that Ghana is one of the countries being counted and for 2015, 936 girls in the Volta Region, who had the opportunity to participate in this programme are part of this proud statistics.

On International Girls in ICT Day all stakeholders involving the Ministers of ICT, Education, Gender, Labour National Regulatory Authorities, ICT companies, academic institutions are encouraged to organize events attracting as many girls and young women as possible to celebrate and commemorate the day.

“ It is fair to say that given the opportunities to grow, learn and adapt, women will dominate the ICT landscape in the coming decade where it is estimated that there will be two million more ICT jobs than there are professionals to fill them,” the Minister stated, as he highlighted the John Dramani Mahama administration’s commitment to providing the needed resources to facilitate the explosion of the ICT industry in Ghana.