Today is the United Nations' International Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day, which is celebrated each year on fourth Thursday of April. So, this year, in 2020, we are celebrating this day on April 23.
Why ICT is important?
With the current COVID-19 situation, people are staying at homes for their safety. in this case, digital networks play a crucial role in maintaining peace. They allow us to keep in touch with each other, help medics treat the sick, and enable scientists to work together to develop a vaccine. ICT plays an important role in our daily lives, which we should be thankful for.
Girls in ICT.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the issue of gender in ICT, there is a big gender gap not in one or two states, but globally. For instance, according to Forbes, women represent 24% of the tech industry in the USA.
Regarding the whole European region, the European Institute for Gender Equality states that “around 17% of the almost 8 million ICT specialists are women”. This is a really small number of girls involved in ICT, which is upsetting, because there are many smart and talented girls worldwide, who would definitely succeed in this field.
Our famous female heroes in ICT, such as Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Annie Easley, and others, inspire us to contribute and make changes in the male-dominated field of technology.
I would like to encourage girls to never give up just because of the existing stereotypes of male and female professions. Let's support each other in following our dreams!
Best regards,
Arina
