Girls in ICT Day Thailand and ASP

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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.​

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​Provisional Agenda: Date: 28 April 2022
​09:30-09:55 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 04:30-05:00 CEST	● Registration and event preparation on-site  ● Testing and online networking on the online platform
​10:00 – 10:30 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 05:00-05:30 CEST	​Introduction by Moderator (Physical session)  ● 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)​ (Each speaker to have 3 minutes maximum to deliver the remarks)
​10:30 – 10:35 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 05:30-05:35 CEST	​Group photos (Physical and virtual session)
​10:35-10:45 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 05:35-05:45 CEST	​Meet the Ambassadors (Physical session)  A girl representative to start the session and ask question to task question to the Ambassador ● ​​Ms. Yodwadee Dissara, Vice President of the Children and Youth Council of Thailand The Ambassador share inspirational messages and experience to the girls and young women in Thailand who participate in the Girls in ICT Day Thailand ●        H.E. Mr. Allan McKinnon, Australian Ambassador to Thailand, Australian Embassy in Thailand
10:45-11:45 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 05:45-06:45 CEST	​Success Story by Women Influencer (Physical session) Session powered by the Office of the NBTC  Moderated by: ● Ms. Tassama Damdaeng ​ Speakers: ● Ms. Chatpawee Trichachawanwong ● Ms. Marie Broenner
​11:45 – 13:00 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 06:45-08:00 CEST	​Lunch break and testing
13:00-13:10 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 08:00-08:10 CEST	​Girls in ICT Day Asia and the Pacific 2022 celebration powered by Network of Women for WTDC for Asia and the Pacific (NoW4WTDC) (Virtual session) 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 5-16 June 2022.  Opening Remarks  ● Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU (TBC)
13:10-13:15 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 08:10-08:15 CEST	​Global celebration group photos (Hybrid session) The high level speakers, delegates, girls, young women, students and other participants join a virtual group photos as part of the global and regional event of Girls in ICT Day within 24 Hours on 28 April 2022.
13:20-14:00 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 08:15-09:00 CEST ​	​Encouraging girls and young women to utilize ICT meaningfully and strengthening the community of the Girls in ICT Day in Asia and the Pacific. (Virtual session) 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 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 Siu Man Hei, Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representative  Speakers: ● Dr. Tiranee Achalakul, 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 ​ (Each speaker to have 3 minutes maximum focusing on the information required to be shared)
​14:00 – 14:30 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 09:00-09:30 CEST	​Talking tech – Girls and Women in ICT on “Access and safety” (Virtual session)  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: o Ms. Kanokporn Prakobsang, Student of Mahidol University​ Speakers: o Mr. Liu Ziping, Deputy Secretary General, Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT)  o Mr. Robert de Jesus, Programme Officer, APCICT/UNESCAP o Ms. Aarti Saihjee, Chief of Education Section, UNICEF  o Ms. Sali Sasaki, Regional Adviser (ad interim), Communication and Information Unit, UNESCO Bangkok o Ms. Miyeon Park, Portfolio Specialist, UN Volunteers, Regional Office in Bangkok - Asia and the Pacific o Ms. Philomena, Gnagnapragasam, Director, AIBD (Each speaker to have 3 min max. focusing on the information required to be shared) 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: o      Ms. Connie Siu Man Hei, Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representative  Speakers: o Ms. Suthinee Leelahemaratana, Business Development Manager, Cisco Systems Thailand o Mr. Michael Macdonald, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Consultant, Huawei Asia-Pacific o Ms. Wanthipa Wongsamut, Business Group Leader, Modern Work and Security, Microsoft Thailand o Mr. Jake Bell, Senior International Program Manager, Code.org o Mr Tanapat Sathapornsermsuk, Program coordinator, Wikimedia Thailand (Each speaker to have 3 min max. focusing on the information required to be shared) 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: o Ms. Simran Sahni, Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific Youth Representative  Speakers: o Dr. Daniel McFarlane, School of Global Studies, Thammasat University  o Assoc.Prof. Dr. Supavadee Aramvith, Associate Head (Internationalization), Department of Electrical Engineering, Chulalongkorn                University. o Ms. Emi Shitara, Organizer, Harvard Business School Online Tokyo Chapter and International Board of Advisor, United Planet o Mr. Dave Santulli, Founder and President, United Planet (Each speaker to have 3 min max. focusing on the information required to be shared)
​14:30-14:40 (GMT+7) Bangkok time / 09:30-09:40 CEST ​	​Closing Remarks (Physical session) ● Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (TBC)v ● Mr. Notachard Chintakanond, Executive Director of the International Affairs Bureau, Office of the National Broadcasting and                       Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)​

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