International Day «Girls in ICT» (28/04)

Since 2011, International Girls in ICT Day has been celebrated annually every fourth Thursday in April.

This holiday was initiated by ITU – International Telecommunication Union. International Telecommunications Union, ITU), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations in the field of information communication technologies.

The purpose of the organizers of the holiday was to draw attention to the problems of gender equality in the field of ICT (information and communication technologies). ITU representatives drew attention to the fact that girls and women, having certain psychological gender characteristics, are able to achieve success to no less extent than men in such an advanced and popular area in the modern world as information and communication technologies, thus destroying certain gender stereotypes.

The task of representatives of this area (ICT), according to the organizers of the holiday, is to create equal conditions for the realization of opportunities for all people without restrictions on any, and, first of all, gender grounds, to popularize ICT professions among girls and young women, attracting them to participate in its development.

Representatives of ITU and the UN draw attention to the fact that in many countries around the world, access for girls and women to many professional fields is limited, and, in this regard, call on UN and ITU member states to explain the importance of the principles of gender equality in all spheres of life, the formation of a clear understanding among the population, representatives of public and government organizations of the fact that ICT – is already an integral part of modern life. Restricting access to it for girls and women – is not only a violation of their rights, but also depriving the ICT sector of a real chance for more dynamic and sustainable development.

Girls in ICT Day is also closely linked to another UN commemorative date, – International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated annually on February 11th.

Traditional events dedicated to the celebration of the International Day of Girls in ICT are held in the form of seminars, workshops, trade fairs, open days in a number of educational and scientific institutions, conferences, visits to companies and enterprises working in the field of ICT to clearly demonstrate how these technologies contribute to solving many pressing problems of modern society. Moreover, every year the events within the Day are dedicated to a specific topic chosen by ITU.

The spread of coronavirus infection and the pandemic declared in connection with this by WHO have only once again shown that ICTs provide humanity with the opportunity to resolve many issues remotely, helping to more safely overcome the challenges of the modern world.

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