International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated worldwide every year on the fourth Thursday of April (28 April 2022). Girls in ICT Day provides an opportunity for girls and young women to see and be exposed to the benefit of ICT in enabling their career and aspiration. 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.
The Girls in ICT works to cultivate the presence and digital skills of young women and girls [aged 12-24] in the career field of STEM, particularly ICTs. Given the success of this initiative each year, ITU will continue the efforts to promote Girls in ICT not solely on one day of the year, but throughout the year with 2022 marking a launching point for a new model of Girls in ICT year-long activities.
Girls in ICT activities will follow the 2022 theme of “Access and Safety.” According to ITU’s latest data, the proportion of women using the Internet globally amounts to 48 per cent, compared to 55 per cent of men. In relative terms, this means that the global Internet use gender gap stands at 12.5 per cent. If women are unable to access the internet and feel unsafe online, they are unable to develop digital skills and participate in digital spaces, diminishing their opportunities to pursue a career in STEM fields.
To celebrate the international day in 2022, there will be a High-Level Panel organized by ITU headquarters within the framework of the WSIS – World Summit on the Information Society – Forum 2022. There is also the objective of having a regional event in all 6 regions to celebrate the day possibly within the 24 Hours. Regional events on April 28th is organized in coordination with the regional Networks of Women for World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC). The audience for the event will be young girls and women identified through regional connections.
In Thailand, the Girls in ICT Day initiative aims to encourage girls and young woman to pursue studying STEM, enhance their level of digital skill, and raise awareness on meaningful and safe use of ICT.
The celebration is organized by National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and ITU Asia and the Pacific Regional Office throughout April and May 2022 in conjunction with a series of the training programme.
The Opening Ceremony was held in hybrid mode at Carlton Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit and in hybrid mode and via Zoom platform on 28 April 2022. As the first activity, this ceremony will also introduce the digital skills training programmes that will take place virtually throughout the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2022 celebration in two months from 28 April to 30 June 2022.
The Girls in ICT Day programme will be concluded on the Closing Ceremony of the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2022 and the Open House Day on 30 June 2022 that will be organised at the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific new office located in Office of the NBTC headquarter and via Zoom platform on 30 June 2022.
Event web page
For more information, visit the event page.
Provisional Agenda
09:30-09:55: Registration
- Registration and event preparation on-site
- Testing and online networking on the online platform
10:00 – 10:30: Introduction
- MC: Ms. Kanlayapat Kaewvejchabutr, Office of the NBTC
- Session Moderator: Mr. Rior Santos, Senior UN Coordinator Specialist, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Welcoming remarks
- Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Special address
- Ms. Gita Sabharwal, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand
- Mr. Masanori Kondo, Secretary-General, Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT)
- Dr. Suphat Champatong, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Thailand
- Ms. Ajarin Pattanapanchai, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society Thailand
Update from Office of the NBTC
- Mr. Notachard Chintakanond, Executive Director of the International Affairs Bureau, Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)
Opening and keynote Speech
- Prof. Pirongrong Ramasoota, Ph.D., Commissioner of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)
10:30 – 10:35: Group Photos
10:35-10:45: Meet the Ambassador
- A girl representative to start the session and ask question to the Representative from the Australian Embassy in Thailand
- Ms. Yodwadee Dissara, Vice President of the Children and Youth Council of Thailand
Representative from the Australian Embassy in Thailand will share an inspirational messages and experience to the girls and young women in Thailand who participate in the Girls in ICT Day Thailand.
10:45-11:45: Success Stories by Women Influencers
Session powered by the Office of the NBTC
Moderated by:
- Ms. Tassama Damdaeng
Speakers:
- Ms. Chatpawee Trichachawanwong
- Ms. Marie Broenner
11:45 – 13:00: Lunch Break and Testing
13:00-13:10: Girls in ICT Day Asia and the Pacific 2022 celebration powered by Network of Women for WTDC for Asia and the Pacific (NoW4WTDC)
The Network of Women for the World Telecommunication Development Conference (NoW4WTDC) is the ITU Development initiative aims at building capacity for WTDCs and encouraging active participation of women as delegates, chairs, vice-chairs, among other leadership roles in the conference structures and ITU Development in general.
The Network of Women (NoW) encourages gender balance in the activities leading up to the World Telecommunication Development Conference on 6-16 June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Opening Remarks: Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU
13:10-13:15: Global celebration group photos
13:15-14:00 Encouraging girls and young women to utilize ICT meaningfully and strengthening the community of the Girls in ICT Day in Asia and the Pacific.
Role model story telling: The Chair of Network of Women for WTDC for Asia and the Pacific and the Representative from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society Thailand and the Representative from the Ministry of Information, Technology and Telecommunication Pakistan start the conversation by sharing experience starting a STEM/ICT career, the challenges, inspiration and the insight on why girls should get into careers in STEM/ICT. While Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representatives could share similar experience studying or starting career in STEM/ICT.
Moderated by:
- Ms. Mira Tayyiba, Secretary General, Ministry of Communications and Informatics Indonesia and the Chair of Network of Women for WTDC for Asia and the Pacific
- Ms. Connie Man Hei, Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representative
Speakers:
- Dr. Tiranee Achalakul [Ti-ra-nee A-cha-la-kul], Director at Government Big Data Institute, Digital Economy Promotion Agency, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand
- Ms. Aisha Humera Moriani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information, Technology and Telecommunication Pakistan
- Ms. Simran Sahni, Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representative
14:00-14:30 Talking tech – Girls and Women in ICT on “Access and safety”
Interactive interview/conversation between a girl or young woman (Representative from youth leader of Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific) and the Girls in ICT Day Thailand Partners to share experiences about this year’s Girls in ICT 2022 theme on “Access and safety”. This session will be divided into three sections with participation of the Girls in ICT Girls in ICT Day Thailand Partners from the UN Agencies, Industries, and Academia discussed specific topics focusing on the “Access and Safety for girls and young women” moderated by the youth leader from Asia and the Pacific.
Break out room 1:
(Virtual session)
Talking tech with the UN agencies and Intergovernmental organisations
“How can we provide access and safety for girls and young women in the online environment?”
Moderated by:
- Ms. Kanokporn Prakobsang, Student of Mahidol University
Speakers:
- Mr. Liu Ziping, Deputy Secretary General, Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT)
- Mr. Robert de Jesus, Programme Officer, APCICT/UNESCAP
- Mr. Muhammad Rafiq Khan, Chief of Child Protection Section, UNICEF
- Ms. Sali Sasaki, Regional Adviser (ad interim), Communication and Information Unit, UNESCO Bangkok
- Ms. Miyeon Park, Portfolio Specialist, UN Volunteers, Regional Office in Bangkok – Asia and the Pacific
- Ms. Philomena, Gnagnapragasam, Director, AIBD
Break out room 2:
(Virtual session)
Talking tech with the Industries
“Can technologies enable girls’ and young women’s access to the Internet and increase their digital skills?”
Moderated by:
- Ms. Connie Man Hei, Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representative
Speakers:
- Ms. Suthinee Leelahemaratana, Business Development Manager, Cisco Systems Thailand
- Mr. Michael Macdonald, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Consultant, Huawei Asia-PacificMs. Wanthipa Wongsamut, Business Group Leader, Modern Work and Security, Microsoft Thailand
- Mr. Jake Bell, Senior International Program Manager, Code.org
- Mr Tanapat Sathapornsermsuk, Program coordinator, Wikimedia Thailand
Break out room 3:
(Virtual session)
Talking tech with the Academia
“What is the best way to keep girls and young women safe in the digital environment?”
Moderated by:
- Ms. Simran Sahni, Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representative
Speakers:
- Dr. Daniel McFarlane, School of Global Studies, Thammasat University
- Assoc.Prof. Dr. Supavadee Aramvith, Associate Head (Internationalization), Department of Electrical Engineering, Chulalongkorn University.
- Ms. Emi Shitara, Organizer, Harvard Business School Online Tokyo Chapter and International Board of Advisor, United Planet
- Mr. Dave Santulli, Founder and President, United Planet
14:30-14:40: Closing Remarks
- Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
- Mr. Notachard Chintakanond, Executive Director of the International Affairs Bureau, Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)