Rwanda intensifies campaign to engage women in tech career

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ICT sector
ICT

Rwanda has embarked on a drive to encourage more girls to pursue careers in Information Communication Technology, with a target to bridge the gap between males and females in the industry.
ICTDespite there being no official statistics, in comparative terms, of the boys and girls in the technology sector, officials say that the industry remains mostly male-dominated.
In a bid to engage women to pursue ICT career, Rwanda has adopted ‘ITU’s Girls in ICT Day’ as an opportunity to help develop girl’s talents with regards to science and technology programmes.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday Jean Philbert Nsengimana Rwanda’s minister of youth and ICT said that young girls in Rwanda to adopt the use of ICTs as the ways to find solutions to different problems of employment.
“ITU’s annual global initiative to empower and encourage young women to consider studies and careers in ICT has been helpful in encouraging more Rwandan young girls to focus on technology courses,” he noted.
“We organized Youth Connekt Hangout Series have been launched by in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and local IT companies to connect innovative young Rwandans to help with the country’s inclusive economic transformation.”
Minister Nsengimana stated that is vital for young girls and women globally but more especially in Rwanda to take up studies and careers in ICT.
“Our country is on the move, we are busy transforming our economy from agricultural base economy to a knowledge economy, and ICT happen to be the engines of that transformation.”
“We are unlocking a new world of opportunities, new jobs, new careers, and new markets, connections that should reach our young boys and Girls and everyone in Rwanda,” he added.
The 2015 World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology report that was released last week put Rwanda on top position among countries in the World that have significantly succeeded to promote ICT in socio-economic pillars of development.
Lucy Mbabazi, president of Rwanda Girls in ICT, said that young women appreciate the country’s role for being active to promote the use ICTs among young Rwandans. “Technologies enable solutions; we want girls to know that they can use ICT to solve different problems,” she said.
“ICT campaigns in our country have brought immense results nationwide where youth learn to use the technology opportunities available that can help in improving their welfare.”
Rwanda has been on several occasions ranked among the most dynamic performers when it comes to ICT development globally.
The small Central African nation plans to establish an ICT park that will be a base of technological investments, including training, industries, research and development.
Last year Rwanda rolled out 4th Generation Long-Term Evolution (4GLTE) internet network offering the fastest wireless broadband on high-speed data for mobile phones and devices such as modems and routers.
The government targets to have 95 percent of Rwandans connected to internet by 2017. Enditem

Source: Xinhua

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