International Girls in ICT day 2023

International Girls in ICT Day 2023

International Girls in ICT Day is marked annually on the fourth Thursday in April. This year International Girls in ICT Day is observed on 27th April 2023 to promote technology career opportunities for girls and women in the world’s fastest growing sector .This day helps to promote gender equality and diversity in the field of (ICT).

Theme  for International Girls in ICT Day 2023   is  “DIGITAL SKILLS FOR LIFE.”. This year and every year, ITU and partners work together to inspire and encourage girls to pursue a future in ICTs towards bridging the gender digital divide. The aim is to encourage young women and girls to pursue their studies and careers in science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and other fields and help them achieve their dreams

ICT stands for information and communications technology. ICT is the infrastructure and components that help to enable modern computing systems. ICT consists of both the internet as well as the mobile connected which are connected by wireless networks. It also includes all the antiquated technologies such as landline telephones, television and radio.

International Girls in ICT Day 2023: History

International Girls in ICT Day was declared by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on April 8, 2011, to encourage women to pursue careers in information and communication technologies. This day helps to promote gender equality and diversity in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It raises awareness about the gender gap in the tech industry and inspires women to consider careers in ICT.

Five interesting facts about women in information and communications technology.

1. Augusta, the first programmer Ada King, an English mathematician and author, is regarded as the world’s first programmer.

2. Female technology company founders

20% of the world’s tech firms were founded by women.

3. A woman introduced Thailand to the internet.

Dr. Kanchana Kanchanasut was instrumental in introducing Thailand to the internet.

4. The original compiler

Grace Hopper was the first person to develop a compiler for a programming language.

5. Women on the board of directors

37% of tech ventures have at least one female board member.

Why We Celebrate International Girls in ICT Day 2023

International Girls in ICT Day aims to inspire a global movement to increase the representation of girls and women in technology. The main goal of Girls in ICT is to cultivate the presence and digital skills of young women and girls [aged 12-24] in the career field of STEM, particularly ICT.

Some main reasons to Celebrate this day as follows-

1. Rapidly, technology is penetrating every aspect of human life.

The future economy will unquestionably be driven by technology. Therefore, it is imperative that girls and women pursue careers in I.T. to take advantage of these opportunities. Additionally, technology is a wonderful equaliser and can be one of the tools used to close the gender gap.

2. It encourages more young women to pursue careers in technology.

On International Girls in ICT Day, events are held to educate girls and women about ICT and career opportunities in the field. The day also provides female tech leaders and professionals with an opportunity to share their experiences and inspire young girls and women.

3. It empowers young females and women

International Girls in ICT Day has spawned numerous initiatives to educate, train, and mentor girls and young women interested in a career in technology. This includes Girls in ICT programmes by Cisco, Microsoft, and the United Nations.

SOME FAQs —

Q1. What are Components of ICT? 

Ans –The major components of the ICT system are as follows:

• Software
• Hardware
• Cloud Computing
• Transaction
• Data
• Internet
• Communication Technologies

Q2. What is the meaning of Girls in ICT Day?

Ans -It encourages more young women to enter the technology  industry. The day also provides an opportunity for female tech leaders and professionals to share their experiences and inspire other girls and young women.

Q3. Why is ICT important for girls?

Ans – When women and girls have access to the Internet, they have the opportunity to start new businesses, sell products to new markets, find better-paid jobs and access education as well as health and financial services.

Q4. What are the five importance of ICT?

Ans – Five Importance of ICT are –

1. Access to information: ICT provides access to a vast amount of information, through sources such as the internet and databases.
2. Education: ICT is used in education to facilitate distance learning and provide access to a wide range of educational resources.
3. Communication – via phone calls , video calls, sms , conferencing etc.
4. Healthcare: ICT is used in healthcare to improve patient treatment.
5. Banking and insurance services .

Q5 . How does ICT help students?

Ans -Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can impact student learning when teachers are digitally literate and understand how to integrate it into curriculum. Schools use a diverse set of ICT tools to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage information.