ASEAN International Girls in ICT Day

EXPANDING TH​​E INFLUENCE TO THE MULTI SECTORS IN ASEAN​​​

The Indonesian ASEAN Chairmanship 2023 adopts the theme of “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”, implying the region’s direction and determination to continue fostering ASEAN’s relevance in responding to regional and global challenges, and strengthening ASEAN’s position as the epicentre of regional economic growth, including through digital technology and transformation, for the prosperity of the people of ASEAN.
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights inaugurated a Special Session on Women’s Empowerment in the Digital Age, focusing specifically on digital gender equality for the first time. The ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework aims at putting women at the core of recovery efforts, and the first ever ASEAN Women Leaders Summit was held during the 37th ASEAN Summit. At the more practical sphere, the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 stipulates the need for national and regional collaboration to promote digital skills including for the workplace through the establishment of ASEAN Working Group on STEM education including formulation of curriculum objectives, preferred university courses such as software engineering, gender targets and etc.

The International Girls in ICT Day will be an avenue where prominent female actors, authorities and activists from different sectors are converging to share information, knowledge and contacts. The event shall also be expanding from the Philippines to ASEAN. Additionally, the Girls in ICT Day 2023 shall also bridge the digital generational gaps and thus provide the stage for the roles performance of female youth particularly amongst the Generation Connect in the Philippines and in ASEAN region.

In this regard, it becomes imperative that the International Girls in ICT Day in the Philippines is linked to ASEAN sectoral bodies’ activities including those under the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of The Right Of The Women and The Children (ACWC). The International Girls in ICT Day celebration should build the momentum towards the deliberation of some key agenda in the ASEAN Summit 2023 and, in that context, the need to link this event with the ASEAN meetings that are being organised in the lead up to the summit itself.

Women’s Business Council Philippines (WomenbizPH) was represented by President Rosemarie Rafael and WomenbizPH member Atty. Dulce Punzalan.

https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/AsiaPacific/Pages/Events/2023/Girls%20in%20ICT%20Day%20Philippines%20and%20ASEAN/ASEAN-GIRLS-IN-ICT-DAY-2023-.aspx