The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, says the country needs to take steps to change the status quo which makes women and girls lag behind and unable to participate in the digital space.

According to her, there are gross inequalities in the digital space, pointing out that women overwork yet they were underpaid, while many others did not find space to participate in decision-making at all levels.

"The contribution of women to Ghana’s development is indispensable and we cannot achieve our goal of a “Ghana beyond Aid” without adequately equipping women and girls for the post COVID-19 digital world of work,” she stressed.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said this at the climax of the Girls in ICT training programme at Gambaga in the North East Region, where 1,000 young girls were introduced to basic ICT skills and coding.

The girls were selected from the East (Gambaga) and West Mamprusi (Walewale) municipalities, Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri (Bunkpurugu), Chereponi (Chereponi), Yunyoo Nasuan (Yunyoo) and Mamprugu Moagdiri (Yagaba) districts.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful stressed the need to empower the girls to be abreast of ICT in order to contribute to the digitalisation drive of the country.

“From education, health, trade, Agric to meetings and social interactions, sending and receiving money and paying for goods and services, everything is now dependent on digital infrastructure and services.

We cannot continue to raise our girls to think that everything technological, digital, electronic etc is reserved for men only.

When they are taught, they can learn, compete and excel in anything they put their mind to," she stated.

The North East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria was optimistic the training will help curb the Rural urban migration among the young girls and motivate them to invest in their education.

Ms Juliet Apetigah, a student of Walewale Girls Model Junior High School, who had no prior experience in ICT, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and partners for the initiative.

She said the training had broadened their knowledge and skills in ICT.

The best 100 girls were awarded with laptops and certificates provided by Gifec with the best 10 girls given modems with a one-year data subscription in addition.

However, the various schools of the best 10 girls will be equipped with an ICT laboratory.