Fifteen-year-old Asantewaa Fauchie from Sefwi Kofikrom D/A JHS in the Juaboso District has been adjudged winner of the 2021 edition of the Girls-in-ICT program in the Western North Region.

For her prize, she receives cash of ¢2000, a laptop, and a plaque.

Taking second place was Isabella Efua De-Heer from the Bibiani Anwhiaso Bekwai received a ¢1,500 cash prize; a laptop and a plaque.

Rebecca Yemaal from Juaboso came third and received a cash price of ¢1000, a laptop and a plaque.

In an interview, Miss Fauchie said the initiative has been a major platform that has brought change to her life and her colleagues.

“For the past two weeks, myself and my friends have been taken through an intensive training in Coding which involves Scratch, HTML among others,” she said.

According to her, the programme has created the opportunity for many who have not had such.

“During the inter-district competitions, I had an interaction with some new friends who indicated that this was their first time seeing computers and touching them.

She expressed gratitude to the Ministry and government for the life-changing opportunity.

"I wish to state here and now that we have been well motivated to take up studies in STEM. We have also accepted the challenge to take over the male dominance in the ICT sector in the not too distant future", she noted.

Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Owusu-Ekuful, referred to the achievement of women in leadership present at the event and asked the girls to take advantage of opportunities and make the most of them.

“You can do even more than what we have achieved. So many of us never got the opportunity to play, work with the computer as you have done, so you have been given something that we have not got. It is your duty to become more illustrious women of Ghana than we are."

She indicated that there is nothing that a man can do that a woman cannot do.

“We are indispensable for the development of any country, and yet we are severely disadvantaged across all sectors, and it is time to take deliberate steps to even the playing field".

According to her, the girls in the ICT program are about breaking the myth around women involving themselves in ICT.

The Senior Manager for MTN Ghana, Network Performance, Louisa Ama Sosu, spoke on behalf of the Chief Corporate Services Officer noted that MTN's participation is an endorsement of the global movement to ensure that female children are not left out of the plethora of future opportunities that access to technology brings.

"Undoubtedly, Government and indeed our sector Minister are extremely passionate about equipping and nurturing young female talents to compete on a global scale, and as such have consistently and significantly over the last four years invested in this initiative," she said

She indicated that as a business committed to women empowerment and equality, we are delighted and proud to partner with the Ministry on this laudable initiative.

The chief of Sefwi Bodi and Adontehene of Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Area, Katakyie Kwasi BumaGama II, in a speech read on his behalf, said for the world to reap the full benefit of Information Communication Technology, it must be made available to people everywhere.

He was hopeful that girls will find it necessary to acquire new skills in technological communication to be able to compete favourably with their male counterparts.

The Administrator for GIFEC, Prince Sefa, urged the girls to perceive the world in the next 50 to 100 years and see themselves playing a pivotal role in making it a better ICT space.

"This is the beginning of greater heights you can achieve; this is the beginning of your greatness. Do not dim your light. I believe in you, and so should you," he said.