NCC Marks Girls In ICT Anniversary For Their Hard Work, Resilience.

By Helen Udoh-Abuja

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in marking the 10th Anniversary of Girls’ In ICT, an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has said that for gender norms to be broken, there needs to be a deliberate and intentional promotion in the field of STEM in schools.

The ITU on April 8, 2011 announced the establishment of an International Girls in ICT Day to be held yearly on the fourth Thursday in April.

This last April marks the 10th year of promoting the Girls’ In ICT initiative, which the NCC had vigorously supported in Nigeria.

This year,the Commission once again gave its support to initiative by collaborating with
eBusinesslife Magazine to host the International Girls in ICT Day.

The theme for the anniversary is Connected Gitls, Creating Bright Future.

The Deputy Director, New Media and Information Security at NCC, Mrs. Olatokunbo Oyeleye, in her address at the April, recalled that the ITU on April 8, 2011 announced the establishment of an International Girls in ICT Day to be held yearly on the fourth Thursday in April, which was a direct result of the adoption of its Resolution 70 – “Gender mainstreaming in ITU and promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).”

The Resolution was to incorporate a gender perspective in the implementation of all ITU programmes and plans.

Oyeleye, who represented the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Prof. Umar Danbatta cited examples of young girls that broke the gender barrier with exploits in STEM fields.

“And they are a proof that breaking gender norm should become the norm,”he noted.

According to Danbatta for gender norms to be broken, there needs to be a deliberate and intentional promotion in the field of STEM in our schools for girls, and this must start at a young age.

”This is vital when attempting to promote gender diversity within STEM. The STEM industry is crying out for more female talents to balance the gender inequality.”

Danbatta revealed that, the NCC has a series of initiatives to promote Child Online Protection (COP) within the nation.

Educating children on ways they should keep themselves safe online, and avenues to report if they fall victim. Therefore the NCC invites participants to share their experiences and proffer solutions by sending an email to COP.

Nigeria, being a member state adopts the outcomes of ITU resolutions including Girls in ICT, which is celebrated across the nation.

Since the birth of Girls in ICT Day in 2011, over 377,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 11,400 International Girl in ICT Day celebrations in 171 countries.source:swiftreporters