Girls Asked To Pursue Careers In STEM And ICT As Demand For Skills Shoot Up.
The government, through the Ministry of ICT, Innovation, and Youth Affairs, is encouraging young women and girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and ICT sectors, particularly in the cyber-security division.
Ms Maureen Mbaka, Chief Administrative Secretary for ICT and Broadcasting, stated during a “Girls in ICT” webinar on cyber security that there is a drastic rise in cyberattacks worldwide, with cybercriminals becoming bolder and more creative, resulting in great global demand for cyber security skills that far outnumbers the current supply.
“We need more girls to join the profession. It is vital for the young girls to know that women can be part of those providing solutions that help address threats to cyber-secu-thy.” said CAS Mbaka.
She stated that the Ministry is working to ensure that Kenya remains a preferred Science, Technology, and Innovation destination in the region, noting that Kenya’s digital economy is expected to add Shl.4 trillion, or 9.24 percent of Kenya’s GDP, by 2025.
She noted that this demonstrates the importance of continuing to build capacity for young women and girls to pursue more opportunities in the STEM and ICT sectors.
CAS Mbaka stated that the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are critical for achieving national and global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s development blueprint, the Big 4 Agenda.
“The Girls in ICT initiative will augment other ongoing digital literacy projects that the Government is Implementing through the ICT Ministry in-cluding the Presidential Digital Talent Program, Digital Lit-eracy Program, the Ajira Digi-tal Program and the Huduma Whitebox,” said CAS Mbaka.
The webinar’s theme was ‘Addressing the Cyber Security Skills Gap through Bridging the Gender Divide,’ and it aimed to encourage girls and young women to pursue Cybersecurity as a career by highlighting market opportunities.
Several women leaders in the ICT sector participated in a panel discussion on topics such as the Cybersecurity Threat Landscape in 2022 and IT Security by Design, which focuses on the vulnerability of Systems and Applications.
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They also discussed Cloud Security Emerging Issues and Controls, Information Security, and how to protect Organizational and Personal Data while exploring cybersecurity opportunities.
The webinar was part of the Girls in ICT Initiative’s monthly activities to raise awareness about ICT among girls and young women, which will culminate on April 25, 2022, during the global Girls in ICT Day.
Girls Asked To Pursue Careers In STEM And ICT As Demand For Skills Shoot Up
