NCA Hosts Eighth Annual Celebration for Girls in ICT

The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Somalia, in collaboration with the National Telecommunication and Technology Institute (NTTI), recently hosted the eighth annual celebration of Girls in ICT Day. This event, which took place on April 25, 2024, is a significant milestone in the empowerment and education of women in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

This year’s celebration continued the tradition of inspiring young women to pursue careers in ICT. The event featured a series of training workshops to enhance the skills and knowledge of female ICT students. The workshops focused on critical areas such as Web Development, Data Science and Analytics, CV Writing, and Public Speaking.

Shaima Abdi Salad, a third-year Computer Science student who has been part of the program for the past two years, reflected on her enriching experiences. “The knowledge and skills I have gained have grown significantly each year,” she noted. “This year’s training covered various topics, including networking, cybersecurity, data science, Linux, operating systems, public speaking, and CV writing,” she said. “I also connected with like-minded girls from the same field and am pleased with how Somali girls’ understanding of technology increases yearly. I hope they continue to achieve greater success and reach higher positions,” she added.

The Girls in ICT Day celebration, a cornerstone of the NCA’s efforts to reduce the digital gender gap in Somalia, has achieved significant milestones. Since 2018, NCA has equipped over 325 young women with the necessary skills to excel in the ICT sector through more than 30 training courses and four competitive events. This event has become a significant platform to inspire young girls and women to pursue careers in the ICT industry.

According to a study published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2022, the persistent digital gender gap is highlighted, noting that 34% of women use the internet compared to 45% of men in Africa. Furthermore, almost 900 million women globally do not use mobile internet, with nearly two-thirds residing in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the GSMA Association estimates that closing the mobile internet gender gap by 2030 across low- and middle-income countries would require approximately 810 million women to adopt it, equating to about 100 million women annually.

For more information on the NCA and its efforts to promote gender equality in the ICT field, please visit the Girls in ICT website at https://girlsinict.so/.