-discusses the future of women in ICT

First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger, on Wednesday met with Co-Founder of “She Leads It”, Ms. Nicole Pitter Patterson, to discuss building opportunities for women in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as well as identifying areas of possible collaboration.

‘She Leads It’ is a social enterprise that focuses primarily on empowering women and young girls, particularly in the areas of business and ICT, globally. The meeting was held at the First Lady’s State House office.

Ms. Pitter Patterson, in an invited comment, explained that her organisation is interested in exploring the initiatives that the First Lady is currently spearheading in the area of girls in technology. Highlighting the significance of women in the ICT field, she said that “Girls in ICT is so important because it is well established and indicated that one in four jobs over the next twenty years will be lost for men in the regular work force and that is one in

twenty for women. So what we’re very excited to be doing, in terms of working with girls, youngsters and those at the university level too, is to collaborate with them, in terms of what they are doing and opportunities that they can have, so that they can become part of that pipeline of young women in technology and go into working in the tech field,” she said.
‘She Leads It’ has organised a number of hackatons and technology labs across the

Caribbean. Last year alone the enterprise engaged approximately 350 young women in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad in hands on activities using mobile apps, games and other technology based tools to contribute to their regional Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This year will see over 800 girls and women being engaged in hackaton activities in

Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In Guyana, GeoTech Vision will be leading a technology lab and hackaton focusing on web development and conducting webinars. (Ministry of the Presidency)