The event dubbed “DigiGirlz” which was addressed by successful women in Information Technology field was mooted to sensitize the girls on the opportunities available in the ICT sector including career choices, connecting with women industry leaders while at the same time harnessing hands on computer experience.
"A country cannot compete in an increasingly global ICT market if half of its talented citizens are not participating. Microsoft is empowering women to influence and direct the ICT sector, which constitutes a central directive force in social development and economic growth," said Ms Catherine Ngahu, Chairman of the Kenya ICT board.
"Women are underrepresented in education, training and employment in the area of ICT," said Ngahu, adding that "a study of 1500 high school students, found out that the majority of school girls thought senior ICT subjects were boring and irrelevant and 43 per cent of girls who say they like ICT say they wont pursue a career in ICT."
She says exposing the girl students to technology opportunities provides a secure and ripe platform for them to pursue in the future and contribute to technological advancement in the country.
“This exciting event, allows students to interact with Microsoft employees and managers to gain exposure to careers in business and technology and to get an inside look at what it's like to work at Microsoft”, said Watau Nganga, chairperson, Women of WECA (WOW). “By participating in the Microsoft DigiGirlz Day, we hope that this initiative will encourage more young girls to pursue degrees and careers in computing science and computer engineering, with the ultimate goal of narrowing the gender gap in the industry.”
Muthoni Masinde, a don at the School of Computing and Informatics at University of Nairobi highlighted what it takes one to join an ICT career. Sciences and mathematics are a requirement, Masinde said, girls need to develop a positive attitude towards these subjects. “Nothing is impossible with a determined and focused mindset,” she says.
The Microsoft Employee Volunteer Program (MEVP) is designed to mobilize the pool of talent, expertise, and energy available from Microsoft employees and putting it to work in the community, via company-sponsored events and volunteer activities. The Women of Microsoft choose the DigiGirlz event as a channel to demystify ICT to young girls in our local community in collaboration with other partners.
A career in information technology opens up an increasing world opportunities, says Nganga. She explains that a careers in ICT industry includes computer hardware,manufacture, packaged software development, telecommunications services, animation, digital entertainment, web design developer, interactive media, network management, E-commerce and information technology professional services, consulting.
Continued exclusion of women from careers in ICT implies that women will have few opportunities to influence the ways in which these technologies develop and affect their lives, says Ng'ang'a, adding, the ICT industry is losing the talent of skilled women who can bring to it a richness and diversity of thought and perspective and can help alleviate the shortage of skills, which is exacerbated by their lack of participation.
DigiGirlz event gave girls an opportunity to show case their computer masterly - during the day's competition that show winners feted as individuals and schools.
Without women as an integral part of the workforce, the ICT industry is bereft of many potential contributors to the formulation of government and research policy and the development of technology that benefits communities as a whole and it is deprived of a broader set of perspectives in the design of critical information systems, says ICT women experts.
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