Beatrice Gondyi Bauchi
A Lecturer with Bayero University Kano has advocated unlocking the Girl-child’s potential in ICT.
Speaking at the third Bauchi Feminist Internet School (BAFIS) workshop organised by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in Bauchi, a lecturer at the Department of Software Engineering, Bayero University, Kano, Sanah Abdullahi Muaz, declared that technology was not gender-specific and urged parents not to discriminate against boys and girls.
She said the Girl-child’s potential had to be unlocked with a view to making her see the beauty of it with a view to acquiring knowledge in technology.
“Technology is not gender-specific, it is not gender-specific I repeat. Whatever goes to the men’s lane, it can be affordable to the women’s lane.
“The most important thing is whatever you are approaching new trends or dilemma you have to have the understanding. You have to have an understanding of the aspects and the reality of it.
“The essence is to address our girl child to unlock their potential to see the beauty of it, to have the knowledge in order to acquire and inspire for them to aspire,” she declared.
She explained that instead of parents putting their male children alone in science academies, they ought to encourage the girl children as well to take to the sciences, adding that the girl-child should build a career in technology.
“The girl-child needs to understand, needs to know that as far as she is concerned she needs to build a career for herself. In the process of building the career, she needs this technology and technology as well will make her brighter and the greater world for a living, not only for her but the entire nation, the entire family that lives alongside with her,” the university lecturer said.
She urged female children to understand that they have to gain knowledge in order for them to achieve success using the front door and not the back door.
“The first thing she has to understand the reality of it. That understanding, that familiarity, the knowledge gained is the most important.
“I want them to face the challenge; I don’t want any girl to be using the backdoor, I want them to be using the front door but not anyhow.
This technology is not gender-specific.
“The girl can also go to science. Agreed that there are some issues related to women but when you encourage them when they have the proper guidance when they are given the opportunity, there are so many potentials to be unlocked,” Muaz asserted.
Also speaking, a Technical Officer with CITAD, Engineer Kamaludeen Umar, informed that BAFIS was organized by CITAD purposely to create youth champions that would help in providing gender inclusion in the area of information and communications technology, especially on the internet.
According to him, “through that, it will help mostly female in the rural areas even in the urban area. We have the opportunity of using the internet positively for the betterment of their lives.”
