International Girls in ICT Day (GICT) provides an opportunity for girls and young women to see and learn more about the benefits of ICTs in enabling their career aspirations. To date, over 377,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 11,400 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 171 countries worldwide.  Girls in ICT strives to equip   girls and young women [aged 12-24] with the necessary digital skills to pursue careers in the field of STEM, particularly ICTs. In 2024, the theme for GICT is “Leadership”, highlighting the importance of women role models in leadership positions, to inspire girls and young women as well as break down barriers that might hinder their professional growth.

The GICT Day Thailand celebration is organized by Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (Office of the NBTC), the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and ITU Asia and the Pacific Regional Office in partnership with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Thailand (UNRCO in Thailand), Ministry of Education,  Office of the Basic Education Commission,  Asia Pacific Telecommunity, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Cisco, Code.org, Huawei, ZTE, and SENKO, from April to August 2024 in conjunction with a series of training programmes.

The Opening Ceremony was held in hybrid mode at Office of The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), in Bangkok, Thailand  on 25 April 2024.

After organising three months of training programmes, the final session will conclude all activities and close the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2024 celebration. The activities were organised under three different tracks: Leadership in digital transformation, digital skills empowerment, and experiential learning journey, with over 1000 students and teachers participating from 27 April to 6 August.

The final session of Girls in ICT Day Thailand is co-organised by Office of the NBTC, MDES, ITU and hosted by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Thailand. The session will be  held at the UNCC Bangkok, Thailand on 6 August 2024. As the last activity, it  will close the 11 digital skills training programmes and activities that have been conducted these past three months.

Girls and young women who participated in the Girls in ICT Day digital skills training programmes will share their experience,  aspirations  and achievements from  attending the several sessions.

Highlights of the Session

Programme Agenda

Coordinators:

• UNESCAP and ITU

Group photo session

MC

• Ms Rury Demsey, Junior Project Officer, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Welcoming remarks

• Ms Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, International Telecommunication Union

Special address

• Ms Rujira Thammachat, Executive Director, International Affairs Bureau, Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)
• Ms Thasawan Samorwong, Executive Director, International Affairs Division, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES)
• Mr Pichet Phophakdee, Ph.D, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Education, Ministry of Education of Thailand
• Ms P้houngtong Sriwilia, Director of Technology Teaching and Learning Bureau, from the Office of the Basic Education Commission

Opening remarks

• Ms Geraldine Ansart, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, ad interim

Session moderator:

• Ms Yodwadee Dissara, National Consultant of Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2024, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Teacher, girls and boys will share their experience and aspirations based on questions asked by the moderators.

This session will invite selected participants (teacher, girls and boys) to share their experience and lessons learnt from participating in the Girls in ICT Day Thailand Celebration 2024. They will also share their aspirations in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Speakers:

• Ms Buranee Suwannachot, Teacher, Banraiwittaya School, Uthaithani province
• Ms Keetawan Chusuwan, Student, Watsamakee School (Recorded Video)
• Ms Ploynara Kalapakdee, Student, Banraiwittaya School
• Ms Nattanicha Dejsakulrit, Student, King’s College International School Bangkok
• Mr Shanudom Impat, Student, King’s College International School Bangkok
• Ms Kewalin Phimkhan, Student, Banraiwittaya School (Recorded Video)
• Mr Thanawin warnitcho, Student, Banraiwittaya School
• Ms Benyapa Santipitanon, Student, Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School
• Mr Theerat kitsing, Student, Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School
• Ms Prabhada Meerod, Teacher, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University
• Ms Teeranat Wichakan, Student, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University
• Ms Athitaya Wilailuck, Student, Mahavajiravudh School, Songkhla, Thailand (Recorded Video)

(Each speaker to have 3 minutes max. focusing on the information required to be shared)

This interactive session is designed to engage students in a fun and educational quiz focused on “Girls in ICT.” Participants will test their knowledge about the contributions, challenges, and opportunities for girls and young women in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This session aims to raise awareness, inspire, and encourage students to pursue education and careers in the ICT sector.

Facilitator:

• Ms Xinying Xu, Intern for E-Waste Project, ITU Regional Office for Asia-Pacific

Photo session with the winners of the quiz

Video compilation of the students’ participation in the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2024 digital skills training programmes and series of events powered by Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2024 partners from 25 April to 6 August 2024.

Session moderator:

• Ms Lena Ostlund, Project Officer, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

In preparation for the International Girls in ICT Day 2025, a consultation session will be conducted to develop the plan for the Girls in ICT Day Thailand next year. This session will invite girls, young women, and female students aged 12-24 who participated in the previous events and activities to actively contribute their suggestions in an interactive discussion.

The objective of this session is to learn about the challenges and barriers faced by girls and young women in Thailand who wish to study and pursue careers in STEM and ICTs. Additionally, it aims to gather insights to organize future activities with partners that benefits them and target their needs. Through this consultation session, valuable inputs from girls and young women will be incorporated to shape the upcoming Girls in ICT Day Thailand programmes.

The session will divide the 70 students in two groups, Group A and Group B. The moderator will ask one question to the two groups and each group will be given 10 minutes to discuss.  The team leader of each group will then be invited to present the discussions’ results and feedback in 3 minutes.

If time permits, the guest speakers will be invited to interact with the students and provide more insights into women’s leadership in the ICT sector.

Facilitator:

• ITU Girls in ICT Thailand team

Guest speaker:

• Ms Rujira Thammachat, Executive Director, International Affairs Bureau, Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)
• Ms Cheeraporn Sangkawetai, Ph. D, Director of Technology Unit, Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST)

(Each speaker to have 3 minutes max. focusing on the information required to be shared)

Question for Group A and B:

Proposed question: “Girls and young women face several barriers in accessing digital skills trainings, leadership roles and pursuing education/careers in the ICT sector. How can the Girls in ICT Thailand networks support girls and young women to overcome these challenges? What kind of activities and programmes are needed to address these barriers?”

Team leader of Group A:

• Ms Pornpatima Woottisanwattana, The Children and Youth Council of Thailand

Team leader of Group B:

• Ms Phonnaphat Khamphinit, Luther College, USA

MC:

• ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Word Cloud Session:

Moderator invites participants to share one key takeaway from the Girls in ICT Day Thailand celebration 2024.

Moderator reads out the words collected for the questions “In one word, how would you describe the series of activities delivered in the last three months as part of the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2024?”

MC:

• Ms Rury Demsey, Junior Project Officer, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Speaker:

• Ms Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, ITU