Event

Empowering Girls With ICT Skills and Employment: Challenges and Opportunities 

Marking the International Girls in ICT Day 2024, the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nessa Centre for Gender and Development Studies hosted a lecture series titled “Empowering Girls with ICT Skills and Employment: Challenges and Opportunities”.

The event was held on April 24, 2024, at the Mozaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium, University of Dhaka.

The honorable state minister of the Ministry of Education, Begum Shamsunnahar MP, the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, ornamented the event as the chief guest. The lecture series was presided over by Dr. Shitesh Chandra Basar, the honourable Pro-Vice Chancellor (education), of the University of Dhaka. 

Professor Dr. Tania Haque, the Director of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Centre for Gender and Development Studies, delivered the opening speech , . She highlighted the achievements of women in the ICT sector, crediting the promising steps and policies implemented by the Government of Bangladesh. These efforts have benefited both mainstream and marginalized communities..

The event found rhythm with the keynote speech by Dr. Monzur Hossain, the Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development and Statistics.  The keynote was followed by analysis by the paper discussant- Professor Dr. Md. Asif Hossain Khan, the Director of ICT cell of University of Dhaka.  The event became gracious with the presence of many honourable faculties, and students from various departments of different universities across Bangladesh.

Dr. Monzur Hossain

After the inaugural speech by the Director of Bangamata Centre, research director of BIDS, Dr. Monzur Hossain took over the floor as the key-note presenter and captivated the attention of the audience through delivering findings from his research works compiled in a book titled- “Digital Transformation and Economic Development in  Bangladesh” published from an International Journal. He emphasized the importance of female inclusivity in the ICT sector, linking ICT with leadership to empower women and develop Bangladesh. He identified economic independence and social capital (networking and communication) as key pillars of women's empowerment. While ICT has revolutionized Bangladesh's digitalization, he noted that transforming the country into a digital nation has been a visionary and game-changing policy. He argued that investing in ICT could surpass the RMG sector in driving Bangladesh's development. Encouraging youth, especially the 50% who are women, to pursue self-employment and entrepreneurship in ICT, he highlighted the sector's low investment and high returns, offering work freedom and time flexibility that would attract more women to ICT-based employment.

Dr. Md. Asif Hossain Khan

Dr Khan traced out that the key challenge towards female inclusion in ICT sector is there is a stigma and cultural barrier suggesting that women lack logical reasoning. While Bangladesh offers some of the cheapest internet access in the world, efforts are underway to provide high-speed ISP services in remote areas. Drawing on his international experience, he noted that academia worldwide is not responsible for job-specific training; instead, vocational training should be emphasized to prepare the labor force for industry needs. Based on the lecture series, the following recommendations can be focused on-

• Build networks between academia and industry through regular stakeholder consultations to boost ICT-based employment opportunities.
• Ensure affordability and access to digital devices.
• Reduce taxes on digital devices.
• Provide Wi-Fi hotspot services in educational and workplace institutions.
• Implement quotas and training in both hard and soft skills for girls to cut the digital divide.
• Focus on enhancing the F-commerce industry.
• Invest in vocational training to prepare women for the job market.
• Offer multi-sectoral training to empower women in the ICT sector.
• Provide comprehensive facilities for female students and youth to ensure development.