Partners under the STAR-Ghana Foundation’s Gender Rights and Empowerment Programme (G-REP) have been encouraged to use all available platforms to ensure that women and girls embrace and take advantage of technological innovations to improve their lives.
Such a move, a Projects Manager at the Foundation, Dr Ernestina Tetteh, said would also help to improve the lots of their families, communities, and the country generally.
Speaking at a forum in Ho in the Volta Region to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023, under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” she said the theme aligns with STAR-Ghana Foundation’s comprehensive Gender Equality and Social Inclusion plan that guides all its operations and partnerships.
She urged that in the pursuit of digital technology, no none ought to be left behind.
“Let’s remember that women and girls are not a homogeneous group, and there may be some, and a significant proportion at that, who may need a little more help in embracing technology and enjoying its benefit thereof. Subsequently, we all need to be intentional in our approach so that we do not end up excluding certain groups in our pursuit of gender equality.”
“I am thinking about women and girls with disabilities, women and girls from low social economic backgrounds, women and girls in rural communities, women, and girls with little or no formal education, women and girls who have no employment or training. We need to be deliberate to bring on board all categories of women, reaching the furthest behind first,” she said.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister
The forum
The forum was organised by Volta Regional Department of Gender under the of Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection in the Volta Region in collaboration with STAR-Ghana Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The forum aligns with the objectives of STAR Ghana’s Gender Rights and Empowerment Programme(G-REP), a Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) commissioned project with an overall goal to contribute to increased access to rights and quality social services for women and girls.
Expected outcomes include improved access of women and girls to quality public goods and services, particularly in the areas of health, education, and protection against (all forms of) violence.
As part of the IWD commemoration, the Department of Gender organised a series of activities including Digital Literacy Skills Training, (scratch, web design, coding etc.), debate for SHS students on the impact of digital technology on women and girls, a Tech Forum and Fair to educate and exhibit technological services and product available to women and girls to enable them to develop in their education, career, and businesses.
The forum provided a space to discuss and create awareness on the impact of digital technology on women, cyber security and challenges posed by the infiltration of digital technology on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
Some dignitaries and girls at the event
Meanwhile, the Department has come up with the concept of #LadiesGoDigital where some selected women and girls have been trained in basic ICT literacy skills (coding, web design, graphic design, and basic office suit productivity application in stock taking and sales record keeping), among others).
Beneficiaries showcased their newly acquired skills during the tech forum. The idea is to use this avenue to stir up the interest of women and young girls to take up the challenge to safely venture into the technology space and embrace the opportunities provided in the technological/digital world to promote Gender Equality.
