Ghana: GIFEC, UNESCO Train 240 Women in ICT, Entrepreneurial Skills

By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu

Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) in collaboration with the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), has trained 240 women in basic Information Communication Technology (ICT) and in entrepreneurial skills, at Manhean, in the Ga West Municipality.

The training is aimed at enhancing the economic welfare of the participants and to expand their digital capabilities and benefits of ICT.

The Administrator Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIFEC, Prince Sefah, said the project known as ICT Skills for Entrepreneurial Women Empowerment (ISEWE), was also intended to bring ICT to rural areas and to under-privileged groups.

He said the training would serve as a vehicle to train disadvantaged girls and women to acquire literacy, numeracy and entrepreneurial skills, to enable them start and build their own businesses.

Prince Sefah mentioned that the first phase of the project trained 100 women each in Asumura, Goaso, Asankragwa and Berekum in the Ahafo, Western and Bono regions, respectively.

He said that the second phase had trained 240 women in Manhean, Krachi Nchumuru and Abefiti in the Greater Accra, Oti and Eastern regions respectively.

Mr Sefah said part of the second phase will be held in Walewale in the North East region, to bring the total number of beneficiaries to 320.

He said according to UNESCO report, titled 'Cracking the code', girls and women's education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), was low, indicating that only 35 per cent of STEM students in higher education globally were women.

Mr Sefah said the situation was not different in Africa, adding "it is for this reason that the Ministry of Communication and Digitilisation (MoCD) through GIFEC is making conscious effort to close the gender digital divide."

He said GIFEC since 2018, has trained about 5,000 girls in basic ICT skills and coding, adding that preparations were far advanced to train 5,000 more girls and 500 teachers in five regions this year.

Mr Sefah urged the beneficiaries to apply skills acquired "to enhance their business employability to improve their lives for economic benefits."

The Programme Officer for Communication and Information, Ghana Commission for UNESCO, Joan Agyekum Nsowah, said the training was in sync with her outfit in giving access to information for all, through ICT .

She said the programme would ensure access to information and ICT to women and girls, adding that "we are happy to see that women are not only seen as end users of ICT products but important stakeholders."

This article originally appeared on Ghanaian Times

Photo: Victor A. Buxton