Public Administration Minister Marlene Mc Donald is encouraging all girls and young women to pursue their dreams and in doing so, to take up the challenge of contributing to the country’s development, including in the area of ICT.
She said this will ensure that women are not only represented, but play a definitive role in a sector that impacts how we live, work and play.
She added, “Let us join in positively impacting our communities, our nation and ultimately, the world at large through the process of expanding horizons and changing attitudes.
Mc Donald said so in a message as T&T joined the global community in celebrating International Girls in ICT Day—an observance established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the lead United Nations Agency for information and communications technology (ICT) with the continuing theme of “Expand Horizons, Change Attitudes.”
The commemoration takes place every year on the fourth Thursday of April and it is aimed at encouraging girls and young women to pursue careers in the dynamic field of ICT, a field which demands not only technical skills but one which also requires communication and inter-personal skills, critical thinking and creativity.
The minister said, “The use of digital technology is now ubiquitous. Already, many jobs have an ICT component, including fields that are not necessarily scientific, such as law, graphic design, art and history. Moreover, it is estimated that over 60 per cent of jobs in the future will have an ICT component. Yet, there is a projected global shortfall of 2 million ICT employees by the year 2020. Added to this, only 1 in 4 ICT jobs are held by women globally. “
She added : “Trinidad and Tobago, which is seeking to further harness the potential of ICT in realising its sustainable development objectives, has noted the importance of bridging the many digital divides including that of the gender divide. This will ensure that the ICT sector is enriched by the contributions of both men and women based on their unique but complementary perspectives.”
Mc Donald said the The Ministry of Public Administration, for which she has responsibility, is tasked with advancing ICT within Government and nationally to bring about positive transformation in the economic, social and environmental landscapes.
She said to this end, ICT Blueprint, the National ICT Plan for the period 2018 to 2022 has been developed and is now being implemented.
The plan she added— the digital enabler of the National Development Strategy, Vision 2030— comprises five Strategic Thrusts, the second of which is Increasing Human Capacity.
She said this thrust is particularly significant in the context of International Girls in ICT Day, as it seeks to develop a digitally literate population while promoting digital inclusion through which all citizens, male or female, able or differently-abled, have access to and possess the skills to use ICT. Indeed, we intend to build on the contributions already made through the collaborative efforts of a number of professionals within the field, including key female figures.