In a rather positive and refreshing way to launch the 2024 edition of the Ms. Geek Ghana Competition, Minister for Communications And Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful called for the extension of the initiative which is supposed to end on 2nd July to 18th July, 2024.
The Minister in her speech yesterday at the Ghana India Kofi Annan Center of Excellence In ICT asked the event organizers and leaders seeing to the success of the competition to add two more week to enable enough participants prepare adequately for it.
The launch venue was left to loud cheers as all those present agreed with the Minister for adding additional weeks to the deadline of the competition process for those who are yet to hear about the initiative fill for their participation.
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Elaborating on the 2024 edition, the Ablekuma West lawmaker stated, “The Ministry has requested for innovative, scalable and feasible ICT solutions from young ladies between the ages of 13 to 21 across the country. The deadline for the application is on 18th July 2024. The Ministry in collaboration with ICT hubs who will be responsible for assessing the initial entries and shortlisting the applicants. Fifteen (15) shortlisted applications will be taken through a master class to finetune their projects. There will be a grand finale where all contestants will present their projects to a panel where the panel will choose a winner. The winner will be groomed and prepared for the Ms. Geek Africa Contest during the Transform Africa Summit, Nairobi, Kenya in August 2024.
She added, “The top three winners will receive cash prizes and business training amongst others and most importantly for the Ministry, they will:
- Be ambassadors of women and girls achievements in STEM.
- Encourage girls to develop their STEM skills
- Encourage teenage girls to take up courses in physics, Chemistry, computer science and engineering
- Encourage girls and women to participate in Ms. Geek Ghana and submit feasible and scalable ICT solutions.
She further emphasized, “I encourage all young ladies within the age bracket to follow the instructions and submit your applications as requested on the application forms. Applications and Guidelines can be accessed on the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisations website www.moc.gov.gh. I call on interested parties and stakeholders to partner with us. Be part of developing our young ladies, and join us as we work towards building capacity that will change the future workforce of Ghana in the ICT enabled environment.”
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Explaining the importance of the initiative, she said it is “to bridge the digital gender divide by encouraging and empowering girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of ICTs, enabling both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT ecosystem.”
Sustainability
She made it known at the launch about government plan to safeguard the progress made in the national Girls-In-ICT initiative by restructuring it into a Trust.
“I am pleased to inform you that for the sustainability of the Initiative, we are in the process of restructuring the Girls in ICT Initiative into a Trust. This is a legacy that will transcend beyond Governments.
“Interestingly, during the celebrations last year, we chanced upon Miss Audrey Barkoh and Nana Yaa Yeboah who were beneficiaries of the Initiative in 2014. They have both gained admission into the University pursuing programmes in Geomatic Engineering and Mathematics and Computer Science. They both served as Mentors in the GIICT Mentorship events in the Eastern Region.
“The Ms. Geek competition is as a result of the efforts of Girls in ICT Rwanda, a group of Rwandan women; young and old, who are passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). They came together in 2014 to organize Ms. Geek Rwanda to inspire more girls to join STEM.”
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About MS Geek Ghana Competition
In 2019, the Ministry of Communications adopted the Ms. Geek Africa concept and organized the first Ms. Geek Ghana Competition where eligible young ladies submitted concepts aimed at solving everyday community problems through technological innovations in the Ghanaian society.
The overall winner of Ms. Geek Ghana 2019, Ms. Selasi Ama Domi-Kuwornu developed an Electronic Pilfering in Mobile Money (Kasa-Cash System) concept, an innovative solution which seeks to protect Ghanaians especially the underprivileged who were illiterate and were duped or defrauded by associates who could be close relations whilst using their mobile money applications. Ms. Domi-Kuwornu was sponsored to develop the prototype of her idea and also participate in the Ms. Geek Africa competition 2020 which had been scheduled to be held in April in Guinea, Conakry, however, the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic did not permit the competition to take place.
