Spotlight on ICT as key enabler for skilled girl force in CARICOM

Today, the CARICOM Secretariat celebrates International Day of the Girl Child with the rest of the world, under the theme ‘GirlForce: Unscripted and unstoppable’.

The celebration of International Day of the Girl Child began in 2012 and occurs every year on 11 October. This year’s theme focuses on the achievements by, with and for girls, with an objective of addressing the challenges girls face in the process of fulfilling their human rights. Also, the Day will allow for more attention to be given to girls to empower them with a platform to voice their concerns about their future.

The CARICOM Secretariat continues to work towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this instance, special attention is given to SDG 5 – Gender Equality, affording every girl child a fair chance in life, the right to an education, good health care, and access to the basic necessities of life, including ICT. In working towards this goal, the Secretariat puts measures in place for the empowerment of women and girls.

Girls have the right to reach their full potential. Every year of secondary schooling a girl receives boosts her earning power by as much as 25 per cent.

On this #DayOfTheGirl, we celebrate achievements by, with and for girls in the last 25 years and demand more. pic.twitter.com/GqYDs4dice

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 11, 2019

One of the initiatives to accomplish this goal – to have more girls and young women involved in ICT in schools and other learning institutions, business, and every sector – the Secretariat has embarked on a Girls in ICT partnership programme. This programme aims to empower more girls and young women in the Community to choose careers in ICT and STEM/STEAM related fields. A number of stakeholders, including private and public sectors across the Region have already pledged to work on this partnership, and are embarking on activities for girls to embrace the technology and opportunities it affords. As a result, participation of girls has significantly increased in hackathons, coding, application and software development, just to mention a few. This leads to more women being confident and competent in contributing to their economy through the use of ICT.

The CARICOM Secretariat takes this opportunity to salute all girls, their parents, teachers and mentors and to encourage all persons to lend their support to the empowerment of CARICOM girls everywhere.

Source: CARICOM TODAY