The Tribune

THIS Thursday, the Bahamas will join more than 150 countries around the world in encouraging young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technology (ICT).

To mark the occasion, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), along with several licensees within the electronic communications sector, will host a one-day symposium in observance of International Girls in ICT Day.

The International Girls In ICT Day, launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of April each year.

The aim is to inspire more girls and young women to explore and consider exciting careers in the fastest growing sector, information communication technology. The Bahamas is a member of the ITU, which is the United Nations agency for telecommunications.

Globally, there is still a gap between the number of women and the number of men who have access to and actually use the internet. There has also been a decline in the number of women graduating from college with ICT related degrees.

In the Bahamas, the local organising committee said that while it recognises that young women and girls are active users of ICTs, they know there is still a lot of work to do to ensure that women are not just users of the technology but that they are inspired to pursue studies in STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) subjects, are involved in the creation of ICT content and are well represented in the boardrooms of major ICT entities, both locally and internationally.

URCA’s one-day symposium and trade fair will be held this Thursday from 9am to 4pm at the British Colonial Hilton for more than 100 senior female students from schools in New Providence and the Family Islands. The first celebration of Girls in ICT Day in the Bahamas was held in 2015 and it welcomed students from high schools throughout New Providence for an exciting day of interactive learning. Several students were awarded internships with telecommunications service providers, URCA and other event partners. Students were able to meet and speak with women who are considered pioneers in various disciplines within the Electronic Communications Sector.

URCA said it is especially pleased that this year’s plans for Girls In ICT Day include the participation of students from five Family Islands.

According to URCA, students and guests can expect a power-packed, informative and fun-filled day with leading ladies in the ICT sector representing aviation, meteorology, banking and finance and engineering.

Throughout the day, guests will view short videos highlighting female movers and shakers in the ICT field, including IT teacher Ramona Wells; Cable Bahamas employees Sharmaine Strachan and Ursula Dean; BTC employees Kailei Symonette and Joyann Moxey, and Indiria Clarke of the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas. In addition to activities led by students, there will also be opportunities for hands-on experiences with technical exhibits from participating vendors in the ICT sector.