2023 Day of the Girl Child: Opportunities for Girls in Digital Era
A day to the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child is moment to introspect on the opportunities available for girls in this digital era.
From opportunities for girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), to scholarships and fellowship for girls, there is a wide array available for girls to choose from.
The Government of Cameroon, through the Ministry Higher Education has a list of scholarships it proposes to successful A’ Level and Baccalaureate Candidates, many of which prioritize girls.
An Electrical Engineer, Germaine Ashu Besong explains that for girls in STEM, the offers are many.
“There is the Technovation Challenege Programme for girls aged between 8 and 18 years. It pushes girls to identify problems in their community and develop mobile applications as solutions to these problems,” she explains.
Another opportunity the Electrical Engineer highlights is the Tech Girls Programme for girls between 15 and 17 years. Under this programme, three to five Cameroonian girls are usually selected to go to the U.S. and receive training on robotics, engineering and others.
“There is also the Girls in Tech Programme, Techno Girls and Techno Kids Programmes,” Germaine Ashu Besong adds.
Away from STEM, many University programmes across Cameroon offer excellence scholarships to outstanding girls, as well as boys. One of such is the Pan African Institute in Yaounde with Masters scholarships for girls below 35 years.
At the local level, village communities across Cameroon offer scholarships to outstanding secondary students of the communities with special focus on girls. An example is the Fako Division’s excellence award which sponsors girls into the University.
Apart from the above mentioned, just with a click online and the right key words, the Cameroonian Girl can unlock so many opportunities to either further her education or enter the professional world, exceptionally.
Eleanor Ayuketah Ngochi
