TWENTY TWO female students selected from various second cycle institutions across the country to undergo thorough tutorials in Information Communication Technology (ICT) have paid a visit to Western Publications, publishers of Daily Guide, Business Guide, Young Blazers and News One .

The trip which was to help the young girls obtain first hand information about newspaper production, formed part of activities leading to the celebration of this year's Girls in ICT Day in Ghana which was observed on April 25.

Ghana joins a tall list of countries worldwide to celebrate what has been set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as a day to appreciate the girl child and her pursuit of excellence in ICT. 

The celebration served as a prelude to this year's World Telecommunications and Information Society Day, which also takes place in May.

The team led by Redeemer Mensah was welcomed by Alhaji Abdul Rahman Gomda, the Chief News Editor. He thereafter took the girls through the various segments of newspaper production carefully answering their questions.

He briefed them about the work of reporters, deputy news editors, news editors, sub editors, proof readers, graphic designers and printers.

He also took them through the rudiments of creating the dummy or page planning and printing and later led the group to the various departments to enable the girls interact with personnel on duty.

The girls later had the chance to interact with the CEO of Western Publications, Mrs. Gina Blay.  Some of the students wondered how a private organization such as the newspaper house managed to sustain itself financially.

The CEO answered that the company just like any other business entity is taken care of by the collective responsibility of all workers. 'We work as a team,' she explained. She said the workers' diligence and prudent management ensure the organization's sustainability.

She disclosed that she joined the company which was established by her husband Mr. Freddy Blay in 1992. Since then it has grown in leaps and bounds and now has a workforce of about 200. She said the company also has newspapers across the whole of Ghana.

Mrs. Blay advised the girls to have a sense of entrepreneurship so as to create their own jobs instead of looking for one when they graduate.

In a chat, Mr. Mensah pointed out that the key objective of 'Girls in ICT' is to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of ICT.

 'Despite the obvious benefits in ICT, many girls never even consider a career in ICT. There is a lack of awareness among students, teachers and parents on what a career in ICT could offer. Attitudes can change when the necessary awareness is created and associated events organized for girls to see what life is like on the job for an ICT person,' he said.  

According to him, 'Girls in ICT Day' also seeks to among other things promote national policies that encourage girls and women to study and take up careers in ICT, develop and nurture public and private partnership for a significant improvement of basic ICT infrastructure and involve girls in research and innovative processes to increase their potential for creativity.  

The day was created following the ITU's Plenipotentiary Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico in October 2010, where a resolution (Resolution 70) to incorporate a gender perspective in the implementation of all ITU programs and plans was passed.

  By Mike Avickson