Resident Coordinator's Remarks at the Girls in ICT Day Thailand and Asia-Pacific 2023 Opening Ceremony

Distinguished guests and participants.

I am delighted to be joining you today at this year’s opening ceremony of the Girls in ICT Day in Thailand and Asia and the Pacific.

I would like to thank the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission in specific.

Boosting digital literacy is a key accelerator for SDGs, and I am pleased that a wide range of stakeholders, including Government, the private sector, academia, and civil society, have joined the UN in support of this important agenda.

I would also like to thank all the participants in this year’s Girls in ICT series.

As you all know from experience, the internet technologies are powerful tools in your education and private lives as they place the collective storehouse of human knowledge at your fingertips.

By accessing ICT, girls and young women everywhere can open new horizons for themselves in their studies and careers in line with this year’s theme of “Digital Skills for All” and break down traditional barriers, to advance the cause of gender equality.

This is already happening in Thailand, where over 85% of girls and women use internet as compared to 88% of men – which differs in the Asia and Pacific. Having said this more girls than boys finish high school testifying to their admirable drive to educate themselves.

However, this means that many boys are at risk of being left behind, which is why this year we are launching the Boys in ICT initiative to create equal opportunities for all.

One area where women remain underrepresented is in STEM in which they make up only 43%, although this is higher than the global average.

There is a pressing need for far more women to choose careers in STEM and the IT sector, and it is my hope that many of you will do so.

By joining STEM careers, you will also contribute to achieving the SDGs, which necessitates a strong basis in science, technology, and innovation.

Simultaneously, it is essential both for girls and boys to deal with the opportunities and challenges presented by disruptive new technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence.

I am sure you are familiar with Chat GPT, which I am coming up to speed with now. This is only the beginning as AI will radically reshape the job market and our societies.

Last week I met with ITUs leadership, their Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Onoe who highlighted how ITU is leveraging AI for good to enable countries to be forward leaning in support of green growth and jobs.

In closing, let me wish all the participants a rewarding and fun-filled experiences.

Thank you.