The Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Gh) organized a debate for Senior High Schools in the Northern Region as part of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day.
The motion for the debate was “Ghana has done more to ensure equity in access to information Technology and educational skills”, with the participating schools being Business SHS and Kalpohin SHS debating for, or against the motion.
The debaters from the Kalpohin SHS who spoke for the motion, argued that Ghana’s stakeholders, through policies and programmes, had invested in efforts at making IT accessible and equitable, adding statistics that indicate that women’s participation in IT had improved as a result of empowerment projects.
Business SHS, on the other hand rebutted their opponents’ argument, saying lack of IT facilities such as computers in many schools across the country shows efforts being made at making IT accessible are not enough.
They argued that the few women who were technologically skilled, could not access jobs in the field, as such, the jobs are termed men’s jobs.
At the end, Kalpohin SHS emerged winners of the debate.
The IWD is marked on 8th March every year, to among other things, recognize the socio-economic successes chalked by women, as well as to highlight the various challenges towards the actions against gender inequality.
This year’s theme for commemoration was “DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director for SWIDA-Ghana, Hajia Alimah Sagito Saeed said it has provided participants with information on how they could have access to some of government facilities.
She said despite the volume of technology related ventures, a few women are engaged in the field compared to men.
She called on governments to make internet accessible, improve on inclusiveness and implement policies to close gender gaps in all sectors.
Guest of honour at the event and President of World Energy Council’s Future Energy, Mr. Prosper Amuquandoh, said there is no change in the motivation for the themes of IWD celebration over the years, which has always been a call to dismantle mental barriers against women inclusiveness.
He added that positive mindset would increase women’s access to technology, saying, “no course or job was designated to only men”.
He therefore encouraged young ladies to take up courses in Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM), as he urged women in the informal sector to undergo literacy training on the use of technology.
Lecturer at the Tamale Technical University, Dr. Hanifa Mumuni Napari said the full potentials of STEM could not be explored without the use of technological tools, hence the need to make them accessible to young girls.
The Head of Ghana Sub Office for the World Food Programme, Madam Gyamila Abdul Wahab said IWD 2023 is a call for everyone to reflect on and invest in technology and innovation that increased women’s interest to participate in the digital world.
She stated that digital literacy among women would improve economic empowerment, adding that advancement in digital technology, offered immense opportunities to address challenges.
Meanwhile, the third edition of SWIDA-Ghana’s Female Leadership Mentorship Academy project has been launched as part of the commemoration of the IWD, with the aim to mentor young girls to be assertive.
The 2023 International Women’s Day commemoration was organized by SWIDA-Ghana in partnership with Plan International Ghana, World Food Programme, Global Fund for Women and the Department of Gender, Northern Region.
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