TANZANIA COMMENDED FOR ENHANCING GIRLS EDUCATION IN ICT

Tanzania has been commended for its efforts in enhancing girl’s education in the country including rural areas with the aim of achieving gender balance by availing opportunities for girls to acquire skills in science and technical subjects including Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The compliments were given yesterday (April 28, 2016)  by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Director for Africa Mr. Andrew Rugege when officiating at the opening ceremony of the International Girls in ICT Day Celebration held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“ Your Excellency Tanzanian Ambassador Naimi Aziz, I would like you to convey my regards to your government for its efforts in promoting ICT education for girls as witnessed by four girls who travelled all the way  from Tanzania to join us in this auspicious occasion. The girls, excelled in ICT competition organized by ITU,” he said praising the girls for successful creating useful IT applications that could be used for provision of social services. 

The four girl students from Tanzania who were invited for the occasion in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa include, Khudhaima Bedran Sultan from Chasasa Secondary school in Pemba Zanzibar, Elician Yohana Kapi from Nyankumbu Secondary school in Geita, Dorice Mhanga from Kleruu Secondary school in Iringa and Elida Alex Paul from Msalato Girls Secondary school in Dodoma.

Mr. Rugege said ITU estimates a skills shortfall of over two million jobs in the Information and communication technology (ICT) sector within the next five years adding that, Girls and young women who learn coding, apps development and computer science will not only be well-placed for a successful career in the ICT sector, but ICT skills are rapidly becoming a strong advantage for students in just about any other field they might choose to pursue.

“ Girls in ICT Day reminds us that ICTs help to improve the lives of people everywhere and especially in Africa – through better health care, better environmental management, better communications, and better educational systems that transform the way children and adults learn,” he said adding that the technology has been instrumental in creating job opportunities to African youths.  

 The girls participating in the school workshops were invited to the African Union in Addis Ababa HQ for a half day celebration where they had the opportunity to present their work and what they learned during the workshops to the ITU officials, the diplomatic community, AU Staff and ITU Delegates.

Six girls from various secondary schools in Tanzania who excelled in ICT competition coordinated by the ITU were invited for the ADDIS Girls in ICT Day celebration having emerged winners from zonal and eventually national ICT contests. Two of them could not travel to Addis Ababa to join their colleague due to delay in visa application.

The Four Girls are scheduled to return home on Saturday.

ITU's Girls in ICT Day, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness among girls and young women about the importance of digital skills for a successful professional career in all sectors and encouraging them to consider studies and careers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

.ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.

An organization based on public-private partnership since its inception, ITU currently has a membership of 193 countries and almost 800 private-sector entities and academic institutions. ITU is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has twelve regional and area offices around the world.

ITU membership represents a cross-section of the global ICT sector, from the world's largest manufacturers and telecoms carriers to small, innovative players working with new and emerging technologies, along with leading R&D institutions and academia.

Founded on the principle of international cooperation between governments (Member States) and the private sector (Sector Members, Associates and Academia), ITU is the premier global forum through which parties work towards consensus on a wide range of issues affecting the future direction of the ICT industry.