Girls in ICT: Digital skills for life
27th April is the International Girls in ICT Day

Ranjan K Baruah *

After the pandemic we have seen the importance of digital skills. Like many other skills, digital skills are also much talked about these days.

It is an individual's ability to find, evaluate, and communicate information by utilizing typing or digital media platforms. It is a combination of both technical and cognitive abilities in using information and communication technologies to create, evaluate, and share information.

While digital literacy initially focused on digital skills and stand-alone computers, the advent of the internet and the use of social media has resulted in a shift in some of its focus to mobile devices.

Similar to other evolving definitions of literacy that recognize the cultural and historical ways of making meaning, digital literacy does not replace traditional methods of interpreting information, but rather extends the foundational skills of these traditional literacy. Digital literacy should be considered a part of the path towards acquiring knowledge. We should not be confused with digital literacy and digital skills.

When it comes to science education we see fewer women in comparison with men. For girls and young women to thrive in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) career, they need to acquire skills to become both Information Communication Technologies ( ICT) users and creators in the digital world and that’s why, in consultation with youth, “Digital Skills for Life” has been chosen as the theme for Girls in ICT 2023. 27th April is observed as Girls in ICT Day.

This year and every year, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and its partners work together to inspire and encourage girls to pursue a future in ICTs and to empower them by ensuring they have the necessary skills, confidence and support to achieve their goals. ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies–ICTs.

The day is an opportunity to encourage girls and young women to pursue STEM education. It is also an opportunity to inspire girls and young women to work in STEM careers and engage the community and promote collaboration through partnerships.

Since 2011, over 377,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 11,400 International Girls in ICT Day celebrations in 171 countries. Governments, National ICT regulatory authorities, ICT companies, academic institutions, UN agencies, and NGOs across the world are all encouraged to join the movement and celebrate International Girls in ICT Day.

ITU was founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks and allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.

Let us take advantage of the day and encourage and inspire girls to take up STEM careers. There are less Nobel Prize winners when it comes to women. Girls can do wonders when they are mentored right away from the very beginning by choosing STEM careers. Let us all promote digital skills amongst all so that people are well informed and stay updated with the latest changes around the world.

(With direct inputs from UN/ITU )