Accra, Nov. 8, GNA – Mr. Seth Ogoe Ayim, the Chief Executive Officer of Bountiful Technologies Company Limited has advised students, especially girls to take keen interest in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme.
This, he said, would bridge the gender gap in STEM education and empower the next generation of female leaders in Ghana.
Speaking at the Girl Powered STEM Workshop in Accra to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, Mr. Ayim said globally, 20 per cent women were in STEM, adding that “the girl power programme is to enable our girls to see STEM as fun.”
The Girl Powered STEM Workshop was organized by Bountiful Technologies Ltd in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Vex Robotics, REC Foundation and Goethe Institute, Accra.
The workshop which saw over 200 girls in attendance from across public schools in Accra was on the theme “Explore Endless Possibilities.”
Mr. Ayim said STEM education was not only about equations and formulas but a gateway to innovation, problem- solving, and building a brighter future, saying “Every girl should have the opportunity to explore these fields and realize her full potential.
“Research has shown that girls lose interest in STEM as early as in class two or third grade or second grade, so we want to make sure that these girls get excited. We don’t want them to wait till they go to high school or the university before we start to introduce STEM to them.
‘There should be an equal opportunity for girls to be able to compete with the boys or the men in technology.
“As we know, women in our culture are always left behind so we want girls to come out of their comfort zone to compete with the boys or even contribute to society in terms of the digital economy,” he said.
Mr. Ayim, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to spread the word and inspire more young girls to pursue STEM careers and encouraged them to explore, br creative, and innovative.
Mr. Aaron Kwaku Twum Akwaboah, Director of Strategy and Innivation at the Ministry of Education said Ghana would only live up to its full STEM potential by supporting the efforts of girls and women in the STEM field.
According to him “the Minister is very keen on STEM education and sees it as a way to transform the country’s fortunes and fulfil the Ghanaian dream.”