USAID – A US Agency for International Development, a leading International Development Agency, recognizes that gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential to human rights and sustainable development outcomes. In Partnership with MTN Ghana #GIS and #PeakLyceum School students were invited to join a panel discussion on the theme “Digital Skills for Life: Navigating the Future oF #stem. The objective of the event was to promote women’s and girls’ participation in STEM fi #work #success #share #students #projects #digital #africa #school #humanrights #sustainabledevelopment.
The event provided a platform for young girls to be inspired by successful women in STEM and to see the possibilities for their future careers. It also highlighted the critical role that organizations such as USAID and schools like GIS play in promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls to pursue careers in STEM.
The panel consisted of 11 female students from GIS (4 Lower 6th Formers and 7 Form 4 students). Eager to showcase their skills and demonstrate that women in STEM are leading the way, these young ladies talked about the importance of digital skills in today’s rapidly changing world and how they can be used to navigate the future of STEM.
As the discussion progressed, 4 other strong and successful women in STEM were invited to share their rich experiences. They were made up of Maame Ekua Ofori (Senior Manager, Commercial MTN Ghana), Ing Dr. Enyonam Kpekpena (Manager/IT Projects Delivery & PMO Lead, ECG, Ghana), Estelle Akofio-Sowah (Country Manager of Google Ghana), and Adaku Ufere (Chief of Party, West Africa Energy Program (WAEP).
They talked about why they chose their respective professions, the challenges they faced, how they overcame them, and the benefits of having women in the STEM field. They also emphasized the importance of perseverance, dedication, authenticity, and hard work in achieving success in STEM, especially for women.
As Ing Dr. Enyonam Kpekpena said “ There is no better time in needing females in STEM than now ”
By: Melissa Adjarkie Adjanor ( L6R )
