Samoa to host ITU’s global Girls in ICT Day 2020 celebrations
By Tribune Online
Samoa to host ITU’s global Girls in ICT Day 2020 celebrations
THE International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) annual global Girls in ICT Day celebration will be held next year in the Independent State of Samoa.
The advocacy event, which raises visibility of the importance of attracting women and girls to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) studies and careers, was established in 2010 by ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference and is held around the world each year on the fourth Thursday in April.
A global effort to help bridge the digital gender divide by encouraging young women and girls to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Girls in ICT Day has enjoyed unprecedented success as a global movement. Over the past decade, more than 377, 000 girls and young women have taken part in over 11 400 celebrations in 171 countries.
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The 2020 event, which will be held on 23 April in the Samoan capital of Apia, will be the first time ITU’s own Girls in ICT Day celebration has been held in the southern hemisphere. With the theme Expand horizons, change attitudes, the event is expected to welcome some 1000 local school-age girls from Samoa and abroad for a day of fun, interactive tech workshops, talks by industry experts, and high-level discussions around ways to boost regional capacity building for digital skills development. The global event in Apia will also feature winners from national competitions across the region.
“Girls in ICT Day is a call to action to inspire the next generation of girls and young women to learn more about the amazing opportunities and careers offered by ICTs,” said ITU Secretary-General, Mr Houlin Zhao.
“By bringing next year’s global celebration to Samoa, ITU shows our commitment to pressing for progress for gender equality everywhere, including in Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries.
“The Government and people of Samoa are excited about the opportunity to host the global ITU family, as well as the Blue Pacific family, on this special day for girls in ICT. Hosting an international event of this magnitude in Samoa will provide the opportune platform to showcase the empowerment of women at all levels and help them participate and become leaders in all aspects of ICT, ultimately ensuring a solid foundation upon which an economy can flourish and prosper,” said His Excellency, Mr. Afamasaga Lepuia’i Rico Tupai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Samoa.
Every year, Girls in ICT Day events are held by schools, youth groups, civic organisations and government agencies in all world regions. In recent times, Girls in ICT Day events have expanded from one-day event to ongoing global programmes designed to teach girls about ICTs throughout the year. Samoa, through the Office of the Regulator in collaboration with ITU and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, has been celebrating Girls in ICT Day as an annual event since 2015.
Samoa to host ITU’s global Girls in ICT Day 2020 celebrations
Tribune Online