digital literacy for girls(she_in_tech)

Today, the term “digital” refers to computer-based technology and the information transmitted through it. Digital technology is ubiquitous; it has rendered our society multidimensional, media-saturated, and fast-paced; it affects how we study, work, communicate and collaborate. We need strategies and knowledge of how to use the new digital technology tools needed for success. Digital Literacy is the new literacy of the 21st Century.

To respond to this need, girls are most venerable and need to be prepared with digital age proficiencies. These include critical thinking skills, teamwork, and proficiency in using technology and its tools.  A group of young people well versed with digital skills came together to form a foundation called digital skills for girls which aim at training girls most especially in the rural area practical digital skills. This is to also cover the significant overlap with ICT programs offered in the tertiary institution, such as communication, visual arts, and computer science, and all the computer-related programs. The proposed digital skills for girls will reach and serve girls between the ages of 10 to 30 in some selected districts in the upper west region of Ghana to help bridge the digital divide.

The term, digital literacy, as it appears in the title of this minor program, represents a person’s ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment. It includes the ability to read and interpret media, reproduce data and images through digital manipulation, and locate information, evaluate critically and apply new knowledge from digital environments. Digital literacy and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) competencies can be used interchangeably.