Rwanda's First Lady urges African girls to take careers in ICT

Rwanda's First Lady Jeannette Kagame has called on African girls to take careers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to achieve digital inclusion.

In her address to the Transform Africa Summit here, the First Lady called on girls to take advantage of the advancements in ICT.

She said girls and women are left behind different innovations in ICT on the continent and believes further progress in digital inclusion will be fed by attitude change.

She called on girls to be bold, curious and never doubt their own ability to change things for the better.

Rwanda has excelled in promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, viewing them as tools for sustainable development.

In August, the country hosted a three-week all-girl technology camp attended by 120 female students from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States, who were taught by industry professionals on computer science, robotics, entrepreneurship and design.

Among the key government initiatives aimed at promoting STEM is the One Laptop Per Child program that has expanded knowledge for thousands of primary school children by introducing technology into education at an early age, according to government officials.

"I have no doubt that Rwanda, and Africa as a whole, has not seen the last of young promising female innovators," said Kagame.

Running from Monday to Wednesday, the Transform Africa Summit aims to explore ways to address factors affecting the growth of the ICT industry in Africa. Endi