Cisco today hosted a dedicated CSR initiative designed to boost the future outlook of young women throughout Kenya. The event was organized as part of the International Girls’ in ICT Day which focuses on equipping female students with Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) skills. In honour of the event 21 girls from the Aga Khan Academy were invited at Cisco’s Nairobi offices. The students spent the day with some of the leading women in the Kenyan ICT industry.
The International Girls in ICT Day is now in its 3rd year. Cisco has participated in this initiative of the from the very beginning. The students had a session delivered via Cisco TelePresence by female leaders at Cisco who shared their background and experiences and discussed how they developed their careers to reach leadership positions. They also had the opportunity to test their skills, ask questions, network and get to know Cisco employees in person.
Hital Muraj, Cisco Corporate Affairs Manager E. Africa, commented, “Mentoring and training programs aimed at young talented ladies in Kenya are going to be vital to help our young workforce of the future to adapt and secure career opportunities in the global 21st century workforce. The country’s growing youth population needs to be equipped with the right skills to help them thrive in this ever changing world.”
The activities around the annual Girls in ICT Day provide a platform for your female students to learn, create bonds, as well as network and share best practices. According to a remark by Hital, “Our goal is to provide talented young women with a sense of how technology can help to widen their opportunities as well as open a window to the world and give them the chance to be inspired by role models who are already enjoying career success. This way, they will feel more comfortable with technology as a means to advance their career prospects.”
The International Girls’ in ICT Day is an initiative supported by ITU to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in April every year. Throughout the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia (EMEAR) region, Cisco has 48 offices participating offices in this initiative.
