The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD), Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP), Monday 3rd October, 2022 participated in a High-level panel and networking breakfast discussions on the topic: ‘Strengthening Women’s Empowerment and Leadership in the ITU’.
The meeting was organized as part of the 2022 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference which is currently ongoing in Romania and It is the first gender-responsive plenipotentiary.
The event is aimed at advancing gender equality by upholding actions on agenda-setting, participation, governance, working environment, and decision-making.
The program brought together women ministers from the Six ITU regions ( Africa, America, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe) and delegates who have been committed to bridging the gender digital divide.
The hallmark of the gender equality event at PP-22 also aims at fostering global Women’s networks, inspire current and future generations of women leaders in telecommunications/ICTs and build an inclusive world.
Speaking on the panel, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful indicated that she empowers girls through the Girls-in-ICT initiative which now has three (3) targets for girls in;
a). the Primary to JHS;
b). Senior High Schools (SHS);
c). Tertiary Schools.
She explained that the Ministry has dedicated the initiative to leapfrog opportunities that would help bridge the gender digital divide and mentor the girls to take up leadership positions wherever they find themselves (Soft skills).
She called on the membership of ITU to invest in and support while consciously involving women in ITU in matters to build their capacities in developing contributions and advocate them during ITU meetings, assemblies and conferences.
About the Gender-responsive PP
ITU, as the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), is committed to connecting all the world’s people – wherever they live and whatever their means. In this context, including a gender perspective in ITU’s work is essential to ensure that the benefits of ICTs are made available to all women and men on a fair and equitable basis.
Following the PP-2018 recommendation to foster the participation of women in all ITU decision-making processes, together with the Host Country, ITU works to ensure that the PP-22 Conference becomes a gender-responsive event.
A gender-responsive event is one that aims to advance gender equality by upholding actions on agenda-setting, participation, governance, working environment, and decision-making which, when used collectively, can work as a system to accelerate, achieve, and sustain gender equality, as well as to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 (SDG 5), and contribute to a gender equal and inclusive society.