GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat says it will join the rest of the world on Thursday in celebrating “Girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Day.

International Girls in ICT Day is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) initiative and is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of April under the theme ‘Expand Horizons, Change Attitudes’.

The objective of the initiative is to empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in ICTs.

Over the years, the CARICOM Secretariat has rallied for and supported girls and women in ICT. This year, the Secretariat says it plans will encompass a yearlong regional programme of activities and will coincide with various international observances, to help girls and young women understand the tremendous benefits of leading and actively participating in the tech industry.

The proposed programme of activities will support policy decisions for both the CARICOM Single ICT Space and the Human Resource Development Strategy 2030. It is designed to encourage girls, young women and boys to pursue careers in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and will target the following stakeholder groups: Students, Teachers/Educators/Parents, Academia and Policy-makers.

Activities, during the year will include Open Days at various public and private sectors, internships, social media features on CARICOM girls and women in ICTs, panel discussions with youth as panellists, eMentoring programmes, exhibitions, and regional competitions in photography, videography, animation and art.

The CARICOM Secretariat says it will partner with a number of entities to deliver the proposed programme for 2019-2020.

On Girls in ICT Day, the Secretariat will engage in an Online Launch of its programme of activities. Polls, surveys, and features of regional / national girls and women in ICT, will form part of the virtual launch,’ the Secretariat said, adding that member states will also be conducting various activities to commemorate the event.