The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization has officially launched the second edition of the MS GEEK Ghana competition, aimed at promoting IT innovation among young women aged 13 to 21.
MS GEEK is part of smart African and what is smart Africa it was created not long ago to accelerate sustainable socio economic development of the African countries through information technologies and better access to broadband services.
Ghana has adopted the competition with the focus to encourage young women to develop IT solutions to solve create temporary social economic challenges.
The competition, part of the broader Smart Africa initiative, seeks to harness technology to address socio-economic challenges across the continent.
Hon. Ursula Owusu-Akuful, Minister for Communication and Digitalization, highlighted the importance of empowering women in technology saying, “I am unapologetically biased in favor of women because I believe they have the power to shape the future of technology. Through MS GEEK Ghana, we aim to inspire young girls to pursue careers in ICT, bridging the gender gap in technology adoption.”
The ministry of communications and digitalization, she said, is so passionate about the development of the girls and hence adopted the initiative since ICT offers opportunities for growth and development in every sector.
“ICT is transformative power in the development of our economies various sectors education, transportation, finance, health, agriculture, commerce.”
The Minister also averred that, government is implementing policies to help all adopt and use ICT to close the gap between the developed and developing and to deduce the gender gaps in ICT.
She said: “There’s a yawning gap between the usage and adoption of ICT between men and women it is artificial and we have to work to close that gap and because we need the full participation of women in all sectors of our economy including ICT…We in Ghana have scaled it up because we see the potential that it has to demystify ICT and young girls and so that they can carry on through their lives knowing that it is doable, it is possible, and we’ve been working since 2017.”
She mentioned also that the ministry is converting the girls in ICT celebration into a girls in ICT Trust which would formalize the public private partnership in this sector sustain the program.
The competition, initially inspired by the Girls in ICT program, has seen significant growth since its inception in 2017.
It has trained over 12,981 girls and 1,200 teachers, establishing 13 cyber labs and distributing 1,776 laptops across various regions in Ghana.
This initiative not only boosts ICT literacy but also encourages young girls to consider STEM careers.
Ms. Selassie Ama Domi-Kuwornu, last year’s MS GEEK winner, developed an innovative offline system facilitating financial transactions for the physically challenged, enhancing security and accessibility in mobile money services.
Minister Ursula Owusu-Akuful expressed her commitment to supporting such solutions, emphasizing collaboration with stakeholders to scale impactful projects.
“I am courage you to contact us be part of developing the digital skills of our young ladies and joining us as we work towards building capacity that we changed the view the nature of the future which workforce in Ghana,” she said.
The competition invites young women across Ghana to submit their IT solutions addressing local challenges.
Applications are open until July 18, 2024, with shortlisted candidates receiving mentorship and pitching their projects at a grand finale.
The top three winners will receive cash prizes, business training, and opportunities to compete at the Transform Africa summit in Nairobi.
For mor information and application guidelines, applicants are advised to visit the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization’s official website and social media platforms.
By PROSPER AGBENYEGA
