Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna has called for increased opportunities for women in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. She made the call in a special message posted on the occasion of the International Girls in ICT Day 2022.
In her message, Minister Shauna noted for a period of time, everybody was under the mindset that women can only do a certain type of work. However, the minister noted this mindset has changed, adding there are now several rising women in the ICT field with the proper qualifications to thrive in the industry. She called on all stakeholders of the industry to facilitate more opportunities for women in ICT and to further reduce the gender disparity in the field.
Furthermore, the technology minister cited a study by the International Telecommunications Union that revealed there is a 17% gap in the use of the internet among men and women. Noting this difference is larger in less developed countries, the minister said these figures prove there is still a long way to go in ensuring equal access to information and technology.
The International Girls in ICT Day is marked on April 28. The theme for this year’s Girls in ICT Day is Access and Safety.