Young Women Demand Ghana Institutionalize Life-Changing Tech Program

Beneficiaries of the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) are calling on the government to institutionalize the program, advocating for its integration into national vocational and technical school curricula.

The appeal was made during a graduation ceremony in Kumasi, where 150 women from the Ashanti, Central, and Western Regions successfully completed intensive digital and coding skills training.

Participants expressed appreciation to the government and the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), stressing that establishing the initiative as an annual fixture would ensure women in underserved rural communities gain critical digital skills.

One beneficiary from the Ashanti Region highlighted that integrating the program into vocational education would empower many female entrepreneurs who currently lack basic computer literacy to promote their businesses.

The initiative, developed through a partnership between the Government of Ghana and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), aims to bridge the digital gender divide by equipping women with practical tech tools for career advancement and commercial growth.

Graduates from various fields, including fashion design, catering, hairdressing, healthcare, and engineering, showcased real-world projects created during the hands-on training, which covered programming, data analytics, cybersecurity, graphic design, web development, and digital marketing.

GIFEC Administrator Mr. Sofo Tanko Rashid explained that AGCCI represents a targeted expansion beyond the traditional Girls-in-ICT framework.

He clarified that while Girls-in-ICT targets basic school pupils, AGCCI focuses directly on women in tertiary education, entrepreneurship, and vocational trades who need immediate digital solutions to scale their ventures.

Mr. Rashid reaffirmed GIFEC's commitment to advancing digital inclusion for women and girls in underserved areas facing connectivity challenges.

Graduates reported immediate practical benefits from the course, noting their new ability to build websites, design promotional materials, run targeted social media ad campaigns, and utilize digital payment tools.