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Last Updated: May 16, 2017 - 12:09:30 PM |
Girls in ICT 2017
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“Don’t be afraid of challenges and new opportunities.”
“If you fall, remember to get up quickly.”
“Smart is the new sexy.”
These are just some of buzz phrases and words of advice that over 120 young ladies heard at the third annual celebration of ‘Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day’, which was held recently in The Bahamas.
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) and its partners, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd. (BTC), Cable Bahamas Ltd. (CBL) and Be Aliv Limited (Aliv), recently hosted the international ‘Girls in ICT Day’ at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort. The event designed to motivate female high school and college students to become motivate to build their capacity in the area of information technology, engaged students from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Long Island and San Salvador. Eager attendees descended on the resort for a day filled with invigorating speeches, meaningful activities and rewarding workshops, which were led by female pioneers in the field of ICT.
Former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Hon. Allyson Maynard-Gibson, in her opening remarks, challenged the young ladies to seriously consider the wonderful opportunities that are available within the ICT sector. She pointed to the ‘all- male’ executives, in attendance, who currently head the major providers of communications services in The Bahamas and URCA. She joked that the young women should aspire to take their jobs.
The former Minister expressed her enthusiasm and support over the years, for the ‘Girls in ICT Day’ programme and reminded attendees that while communication for her generation came via a ‘pen’, there are new, endless possibilities by virtue of the ladies ability to manipulate smart, wireless devices. Mrs. Maynard Gibson also touted the former administration’s proactivity toward ensuring that all Bahamian students not only had access to the latest technology, but also internet access.
Keynote speaker for the event, Aliya JanJua, Director of Client Support at SS&C Advent Software, San Francisco, California also serves as a mentor for women in technology around the world. Janjua reminded students to “believe in themselves” and shared five points from her own playbook for success. JanJua also spoke about her experiences traversing the world of IT, encouraged students to consider every path to success and to overcome their fears about pursuing a career in IT.
Girls in ICT 2017
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Dr. Desiree Cox, a Bahamian artist, Rhodes Scholar, medical doctor and Consultant for The Public Hospitals Authority, was another one of the event’s featured speakers. Cox reminded the girls that beauty is not everything and smart is the new sexy. Dr. Cox shared with the students, the progress that The Bahamas has made in the area of telemedicine, and how the field was literally changing the dynamics of healthcare delivery; particularly for persons living in the family islands. Cox told students that they live in an ever-changing world, filled with new opportunities in technology every day. Comments from students indicate that they were particularly fascinated with the telemedicine topic with one remarking, “[that] the new developments within the sector, are going to revolutionize the nation’s healthcare system.”
In addition to the keynote speakers, the students in attendance also had the opportunity to engage other outstanding leaders such as Kaisa Rodriguez, Engineer, Summit Broadband, a U.S. subsidiary of Cable Bahamas; Anya Penn-McIntosh, IT Project Manager, Aliv; Neisha Butler, Deputy CFO, BTC and Shenique Miller, Broadcaster, Guardian Media Group, during several breakout sessions. These sessions were designed to deepen the experience, whereby students had the opportunity to ask more detailed questions, in an intimate setting, about specific areas in ICT, that were of particular interest to them.
The event culminated with a final presentation with Tracy Ann Perpall, also known as ‘TAP’, who spoke to attendees about the challenges and opportunities available by developing their signature brands, in the age of social media. ‘TAP’ reminded them that the image they portray online, can impact their lives in the real world. Quality indicators from surveyed participants have been tremendously positive. The teachers, chaperones and students all remarked on the amazing opportunity that the day presented for them.
This year’s pre-event featured a screening of the box office hit “Hidden Figures”. The film, which was screened at The Melia, highlighted how the beauty, brawn and untapped talent of three African- American women, contributed to the successful launch of American Astronaut John Glenn, into outer space, during what became dubbed a ‘space-race’ between the US and Russia. The screening, a new event trademark, was particularly refreshing to one parent who expressed that the event was the perfect segue to a fun-filled, informative day for the students.
The success of ‘Girls in ICT Day’ can be attributed to the high-level support and partnership of major service providers, sponsors and stakeholders in the electronic communications sector including BTC, Aliv, CBL, JCN TV14, Synergy Bahamas and others, who in conjunction with URCA, joined together to
carry out the vision for this impactful event. The ‘Girls in ICT Day’ planning team is proud of the success of this year’s event and is optimistic about the growth and expansion of ‘Girls in ICT Day’ 2018.
‘Girls in ICT Day’ is an initiative that was launched in 2011, where Member States showcase and expose females to the myriad, innovative and rewarding careers, within the ICT field. This year’s theme was “Expand horizons, change attitudes.” ICT Day is observed, each year on the 4th Thursday of April and is celebrated globally with more than 140,000 events globally.
© Copyright 2017 by thebahamasweekly.com
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