Girls in ICT Day 2014 : Introductory Welcome​

15 April 2014, Geneva, Switzerland

Good morning,

What a tremendous pleasure it is to welcome you here to ITU Headquarters for our ‘Girls in ICT Day’ celebrations this year. It is always incredibly rejuvenating for me to find myself surrounded by so many young, smart people, and it’s an honour to have you with us.

Today you’ll have the opportunity to take part in some really great workshops which we’ve put together for you – and I hope that these will stimulate you to take a broader interest in information and communication technologies as you move forward with your studies and your careers.

This is really important – not just because subjects like engineering and technology are interesting (which they are!), but also because they will lead you towards better careers and better lives – where you can make a real difference, and make the world a better place for all.

ICTs now play a central role in all our lives, and over 95% of all jobs now have a digital component. At the same time, there is a large and growing skills shortage in the ICT sector itself, as well as in fields where technology plays an ever-more important role – and that means pretty much all professional fields, from law and medicine, to being an airline pilot or a research scientist.

And I can make you this promise:

• Girls with ICT skills will never be out of work, and will have much more flexibility in their work choices, too;
• ICT skills are highly transferable, which means you’ll be able to work almost anywhere in the world you want to;
• And not only that, but you’ll be right at the exciting cutting edge of whatever field you choose to work in.

ICTs are improving the lives of people everywhere, through better healthcare, better education, better environmental management, better communications and better governance.

And what smart young woman wouldn’t want to be a part of that?

So let me encourage you all to have a really great day today, here at ITU; and I hope to see each and every one of you pursue smart careers – careers where you make the very best of technology to help improve the lives of others.

The future is in your hands!

Thank you.