Former Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr. Joyce Aryee, has encouraged girls to show strong interest in science-related programmes to bridge the gender gap in technology.
This, she said, was vital to boost the nation’s human resources – innovative and creative people, capable of providing solutions to its development challenges.
Dr. Aryee, who is the Executive Director of the Salt and Light Ministries, was opening a three-day mentoring camp for 200 female science students selected from 81 senior high schools (SHS) across the country in Kumasi.
They have all been awarded scholarship by Vodafone Ghana Foundation and this involves payment of their school fees, books and allowances for the duration of their three-year SHS education.
The camp, organized by the Foundation, was meant to provide the platform for the girls to be mentored by accomplished personalities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Dr. Aryee identified poverty, institutional structures and culture as factors, which were hindering girls from pursuing science and technology courses at the tertiary level of education and said these needed to be tackled.
She asked the girls to have the courage venture into male-dominated fields.
Nana Yaa Afriyie Ofori-Koree, Head of Vodafone Ghana Foundation and Sustainability, said the scholarship scheme was being managed in partnership with the British Council and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Constance Swaniker, Chief Executive Officer of Accents and Arts Limited, Farida Bedwei, a celebrated software engineer, and Anita Erskine, a renowned television personality, were among successful women in technology, present to mentor the girls.
