National ICT e-Contest for Girls

 

National ICT e-Contest for Girls

 

Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITN) is organizing the National ICT e-Contest for Girls /Awareness The competition geared towards highlighting the opportunities for women and girls in ICT opened on
International Girls in ICT Day- April 26th, 2012 and closes on August 31st 2012. 

The contest is supported and endorsed by Nigeria computer Society (NCS), Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), International Centre for Communication Studies and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Areas to covered include Essay on ICT, Graphics design/Painting, Comics/Animation, Web Development, Mobile Applications and Games Development.

International Girls in ICT Day
ITU encourages everyone (individuals, schools, teachers, corporate firms, government agencies and institutions) to mark the International Girls in ICT Day celebrated annually on each fourth Thursday in April, by presenting opportunities for girls to learn and get involved in opportunities for education and work in the ICT sector.  This year’s Girls ICT Day was celebrated on April 26, 2012. The contest’s aim is to provide girls with in-depth knowledge of career fields. In doing this girls will be motivated choose technology careers for achieving their dreams, fulfilling their potentials and contributing to their communities. ITU states that International Girls' Day is an initiative designed to create a global environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technologies.

Already pilot projects and campaigns have been launched in a number of countries for about 20 years, with the aim to change girls' and young women's behavior patterns with regard to their choice of career and to expand their spectrum of career options.



The Contest

WITIN has therefore developed the e-contest for girls as an avenue to make ICT an attractive career option for girls and to change and challenge stereotypes limiting the impact of women and girls in ICT. In particular In particular, WITN intends to sensitize schools and parents on the need to encourage girls to pursue careers in ICT. The contest is also designed through the assignments to expose young girls to the diversity of growth and lifetime fulfillment opportunities within the ICT sector.

The contest is for young girls between ages 11 - 20 years in Nigerian Secondary schools. Prizes will be won by the Participating students and schools.

Contest Co-ordinators are: Tim Akinbo (Timba Objects), Femi Bello (ASV IT Solution), Nnenna Nwakanma (Nnenna.org), Nkemdilim Uwaje(Future Soft), Ore Somolu (Women's Technology Empowerment Centre) and Martha Omoekpen Alade (WITIN).  
The panel of judges are: Prof Adenike Osofisan (University of Ibadan), Prof Stella Chiemeke(University of Benin), Dr Virgy Ejiofor (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka), Dr Sylvanus Ehikioya (NCC Abuja), Oni Omogbadegun (Covenant University), Jide Awe (Jidaw Systems), Gbenga Sesan (Paradigm Initiative Nigeria).

The mission of WITN is “Using ICT to promote socio-economic empowerment of women and address equity issues with regard to gender, disadvantaged groups as well as those in rural and under-served communities”.

Interested students, parents, teachers and schools should find out more here: Girls in ICT Contest Nigeria

Women and Girls in ICT - World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2012

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2012, 17 May - Women and Girls in ICT

Jidaw Systems in conjunction with the African Information Security Association (AISA) will hold a special session on the empowerment of women with ICTs during the May 19, 2012, FREE IT Career Seminar to mark the 2012 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD). The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has announced “Women and Girls in ICT” as the theme of the 2012 WTISD.

Every year on May 17, WTISD ITU highlights issues that are important to ensuring that the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) are deployed and used to drive development and make significant impact in closing the digital divide. In recent years themes have ranged from Child Online protection, Better life with ICTs in cities, Better Life with ICTs for rural development. This year ITU invites everyone to raise issues involved in the impact and progressive development of women in ICT.

Women and Girls in ICT” session

Jidaw’s special “Women and Girls in ICT” session will celebrate the achievements of women in ICT, inform and encourage women and men about the impact women have in ICT and will promote the advancement and empowerment of women through ICTs. Jidaw further intends to employ the special session as a means of sensitizing the public and raising public awareness on policies, practices and action required to advance and empower women and promote gender equality with ICTs.

In addition, ITU encourages that the international “Girls in ICT Day” should be marked every year on the fourth Thursday of April. This year the “Girls in ICT Day” will be held on 26 April 2012. ITU states that members should “ host events where girls and young women are invited to ICT companies and government agencies to appreciate the opportunities the ICT sector holds for their future”.

Advancement and Empowerment of women in ICT

In line with this theme, Jidaw’s blog on the advancement and empowerment of women in ICT, the Women in ICT Blog advocates the promotion of ICT opportunities for women and girls through practical actions and the adoption of strategies and policies geared towards closing the gender digital gap. Already the Women in ICT Blog promotes women in ICT efforts through the regular provision of content promoting the advancement and empowerment of women through ICTs. As part of its ICT4D advocacy efforts, the Women in ICT Blog will work with other stakeholders in ICT to mark May 17, 2012.

Women play an important role in society but without full involvement and participation in ICT, are they living to their full potentials? Can there be real development in society if inequalities exist and persist even in areas that drive significant change such as ICT? What can be done to ensure that our communities and societies benefit fully from the ideas, strengths and energies of women and girls through ICT?

Empower women and create the future

Empowering girls and women to live their dreams enables them to use their talents and skills to contribute and meet the needs of society. ICT is a powerful tool that must be harnessed for this purpose. Jidaw joins the ITU in insisting that at all levels ICTs should be deployed “to provide new digital opportunities to end discrimination and empower the female half of the world’s population to achieve their rightful place as equals in the world”.

Through the Women in ICT Blog, Jidaw continually encourages more girls and women to invest in ICT and build professional careers in the ICT sector in significant numbers through IT career talks, awareness campaigns, stakeholder forums, mentoring programs, career initiatives, funding/scholarship programs and policies. Jidaw in addition advocates for meaningful, well thought through, pro-people strategies and policies that facilitate the increased participation at the highest level in policy making and decision making in ICT.

Let’s use the 2012 WTISD to highlight digital opportunities, expand horizons and change our attitudes on Women and Girls in ICT. This theme should influence our work not only on WTISD but throughout the year and in the future as well. Empower women and create the future.

Contact Jidaw

Address: 12 Eric Moore Street, Wemabod Estate, Off Adeniyi Jones Ave, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.

Tel: 08052647395, 01-7940562, 01-8958064, 07052509148, 08035007778

E-mail: training@jidaw.com

Hall of Fame for Ladies in ICT Nominations

Nominations for WITIN's Hall of Fame: ladies in ICT

Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN) is accepting Nominations for her hall of fame for 2012/2013.

Kindly send your nominee's passport together with her short profile to:
info@witin.org

Women in Technology in Nigeria is focusing on ladies within the age range of 18 - 35years who have transformed lives and impacted their society via ICT.


Send in your nominations. It's time to celebrate girls and women who have in ICT.

Celebrating women who have achieved in technology despite all odds spurs them to do even more and encourages other women to keep pushing forward. Technology is neither male nor female, it is about what you contribute. We must break the conventions of digital bondage.


WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA (WITIN) an NGO, states that it "employs ICT to promote socio-economic empowerment of women and address equity issues with regard to gender, disadvantaged groups as well those in rural and under-served communities". It is focused on using ICT to empower women and address equity issues with regard to gender and the traditionally disadvantaged.