On 28 April 2018, over 60 school girls from Sofia, Bulgaria will take part in activities organized to celebrate the International Girls in ICT Day under the theme "Empowering Girls in the Digital Era".

Co-organized by ITU, the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICT), and the European Commission, the event coincides with the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.  According to a recent report by the European Union, Bulgaria has a high percentage of female participation in the ICT sector. The event will also serve as a platform to share Bulgaria's best practices in boosting women's participation in ICTs.

Ms Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society says that "women and girls' participation in ICT and the digital sectors is crucial for ensuring that we build an all-inclusive Digital Europe. Today, the numbers are alarming: only 13% of all Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates in the EU are women." She adds, that "on the occasion of the International Girls in ICT Day, we can engage to collectively create the conditions that will inspire and motivate girls to pursue STEM and ICT studies and careers."

The highlight of the event will be a panel discussion on role models featuring high-level policy makers and speakers including ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, Ms Iliana Lotova, Vice-President of the Republic of Bulgaria and Ms Mariya Gabriel, as well as prominent leaders from the private sector and academia. Discussions will also focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 on achieving gender equality, empowering women and girls, and the actions to take at international, regional and country levels to promote equal opportunities for young women and girls to take up ICT careers to participate fully in the digital economy.

"Today, Girls in ICT Day is not only an opportunity to encourage young women and girls to pursue careers in the ICT field, but also a means towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment," says Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau. "The event held in Sofia will, with no doubt, inspire all young girls across Europe."

International Girls in ICT Day is a global initiative backed by all ITU Members and celebrated annually around the world to encourage and empower girls and young women to consider car eers in the field of ICTs. International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of April, and officially on 26 April this year. To date, over 300,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 9,000 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 166 countries worldwide.

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