‘Women's ICT involvement will lead to GDP growth’

The GDP growth will increase 1.6 per cent more if young women's participation in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector can be increased from the current 33.7 per cent to 82 per cent, recommends a study.

In the interview-based study, three major challenges for ICT education of young women have been identified.

These are: bringing change in the perception of young women about ICT education, lack of knowledge and skills in ICT and lack of required skills to engage in the sector.

Findings of the study on the obstacles to women's participation in the ICT sector were revealed at a programme organised at the BRAC Centre Inn in the capital on Wednesday.

Shahid Uddin Akbar, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Institute of ICT in Development (BIID), presented the study results.

BIID, BRAC, Plan International Bangladesh and Preneurlab jointly organised the programme on the occasion of International Girls in ICT Day to be observed today (April 26). BIID conducted the study by interviewing 164 female students of different universities.

The effort to meaningfully expand women's engagement in the ICT sector entails tackling a number of challenges including social and family hurdles, lack of required knowledge and skills, lack of inspiration and fear about security in the virtual space, the study said.

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