NFMU launches Hashtag and Win Competition in lead up to Girls in ICT Day

By Stacy Carmichael-James

The National Frequency and Management Unit (NFMU), today launched the Hashtag and Win Competition as part of several activities in observance of the Girls in ICT Day slated for April 28.

Speaking at the simple ceremony, Managing Director of the NFMU Valmiki Singh said given the investments that have been made and the investments committed to the ICT sector both by the Government and the private sector, the Unit believes that ICTs will become a major contributor to Guyana’s development.

This, he noted is an ideal opportunity for more females to get involved and bring their creativity, innovation, and approach to problem-solving to the ICT sector. He alluded to the coding and programming initiative dubbed Guyana Girls Can Code (G2C2) campaign.

“The apps are the oxygen of the devices. There is a great and growing demand for mobile and other applications for these devices. This is just one example of the opportunities available in the ICT sector,” he noted.

This year, NFMU will be introducing more students to Code. However, in order to capitalize on the opportunities in the ICT sector, Singh noted that persons have to become aware of same and acquire the relevant education, skills, and experience that are demanded.  Hence, the relevance of the Girls in ICT activities. According to NFMU, in Guyana, approximately 2600 girls have participated in over 20 events. Girls in ICT is part of NFMU’s Digital Inclusion Program (empowering people through ICTs).

Girls in ICT Day Symposium, Tech Day Camps across Guyana, Hashtag and Win Competition, Mentorship Luncheon and other programmes are planned for 2017. Spectrum Engineer at NFMU Mellisa Layne said as a woman in technology she faces challenges daily alluding to the fact that the gap between males and females in Tech and STEM careers is ever increasing.

The Hashtag and Win Competition requires the submission of a 150 words essay on why tech needs girls, it must be tagged with #girlsinictguyana and #equals, uploaded to the Girls in ICT Guyana Facebook page and others should be encouraged to like the post.

The three posts with the most likes win a prize each. The first prize is an 11 inch Lenovo Tablet compliments of Vishnu Panday and Associates, second an 8 inch Asus Tablet compliments of E Networks Inc and the third prize one computer course package from Global Technology Inc. Voting closes on April 27.

The winners would be announced on April 28 at the Girls in ICT event. International Girls in ICT Day, is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union. It aims to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to careers in the growing field of ICTs, enabling both girls and the society at large to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector.

International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in April every year. This day was first celebrated in 2011.