 Hello, you see because I'm not a girl. I walk like a woman right over here. So you see My head ties falling apart. I need to tie it back Or else you will see what is under is not tidy Wow first thing first On behalf of the African Union Commission, we join our voices to condone with ITU On the debt of Masalino, Taiyulu and Megan it a baby who lost their lives We pray that the Almighty girl will comfort their families and take care of their children Haven't said that I Want to recognize I Don't see her in the hall But since this is a speech given to me to read I just noticed that she's not in the hall So maybe I will start by saying her Excellency mrs. Sally walks ZD President of the federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in absentia Her excellency Miss Yalem Segaye asked for minister for women's children and youth affairs federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia His Excellency Mr. C. C taller that sounds you're about state minister for innovation and technology federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Excellencies my sisters and brothers ambassadors here present miss Doreen Broughton Martin director for telecommunication Development Bureau ITU and co-founder of equals mr. Andrew Ruger. Yeah Thanks for those wonderful words of inspiration you gave this morning regional director of ITU regional office for Africa Distinguished invited guests and of course The young sister Her Excellency dr. Amani Abuzade Commissioner for infrastructure and energy. I would like to do this celebration of girls in ICT day This annual event that we are pleased to organize In collaboration with ITU regional office for Africa. I Remember the very successful meetings hosted by a you commissioned since 2014 and we have the great pleasure to welcome this Celebration in 2019. I take this opportunity to thank ITU for bringing the global girls in ICT celebration to Africa today The African Union Commission You because we believe that you are the future No, I don't like saying future you are the present and the future of Africa because if we don't invest in you today There's gonna asset. You are not likely to be sent talking about information communication technologies Reface in reality to the ability to participate in modern society We are computer supported and distributed city networks But you use your head to get money in your pockets because I city can empower you and give you the future that you want Your future depends on the 21st century skills, which are essentially based on the use of I cities Although growth rates this last decade with the number of internet users across the continent Increasing by more than 20% Yeah, it means to be done to equate citizens when you require I city and Digital skills to allow them to safely explore and navigate in the digital world the strategic importance of I cities and Internet as key drivers for change in all aspects of our everyday lives have made it for us a top priority to raise awareness of the young generation and especially you to develop interest on I city and at any age and focus on science and technology as they represent the present and the future young girls ladies and gentlemen Statistics show that African women are underrepresented in science and technology in general and in I city in particular whether in terms of assets use of digital application and services of employment taking into account the positive and huge impact of I city on social development and Economic growth and a considering also the great career opportunities in this growing field For of I cities for closing the gender and employment gab in Africa We believe there is an urgent need to create an enabling environment that encourages and promotes greater female participation in shaping Africa digital future We further strongly believe on the necessity to attract girls to I city as a Best way to allow them to harness the potential of these new tools to become Not just recipients, but also future leaders and decision-makers within the I city sector Some African countries have already put in place policies and programs to mainstream girls in I city for example Mozambique South Africa Ghana Benin Zambia Kenya Tazania and Uganda have made a specific reference to gender equity and the empowerment of women in their national policy for I city in education in addition to relevant experiences on gender mainstreaming of I cities of some African countries such as Nigeria has developed flagship programs for gender inclusion and empowering women through I city Namely through the creation of digital gas club in secondary schools to help girls develop and Technologies and also an initiative related to building up I city skills of selected Unemployed girls to feel vacant I CC IT jobs in the country Mauritius has also developed an I city literacy program The internet and a computing call certification I see three which is a full day's program dedicated only for women Rwanda has created Digital ambassador program as a youth like movement to sustainably transform communities across the country in bridging the I city skills gap a initiative 2017 aiming to impact digital skills to young girls from the age of from age 10 to 18 with the opportunity to learn the necessary skills to a match as tech Entrepreneurs through using I city solutions to build business plans and mobile applications to address community problems All these successful experiences that seek to attract and promote girls in I city and high-tech world need to be highlighted and replicated across the continent to enable All African girls to be in contact with technology to motivate them and encourage them to take engineering classes in computer science Mathematics and technology courses to become female tech leaders Young girls ladies and gentlemen Digital literacy for girls is of high importance for the Africa Union Commission We promote the policy of gender mainstreaming and women empowerment through I cities and support all the national and regional Initiatives that support full participation of African women and girls in building modern information Society and strong digital economy under the continental education strategy for Africa 2016-2025 we have a dramatic cluster called I city I city for girls and in this wise We're encouraging that our young women are encouraged to take I city as a cause And this begins at any child with education where you have to wait We have to make sure that through the teachers you get the right kind of Motivation to get interested in getting into I cities and other STEM related courses Moreover the Africa Union Commission is engaged in partnership with ITU and the UN Women in an initiative called African girls can code initiatives Which is a four-year program from 2018 to 2021 aiming at offering African girls the opportunity to learn and develop the necessary digital skills and Competencies to code and develop I city Applications I am pleased to announce that the Africa Union Commission hosted the first digital camp in August 2018 Also, I am pleased to announce that if Africa Union Commission officially launch the Africa women for infrastructure network this year This initiative seeks to promote women's participation in infrastructure development by increasing access to STEM for girls in school and involving women in engineering and related disciplines more over This initiative will support member states engagement in policy dialogue to promote women's participation in the fourth Industrial revolution as the best way for getting girls and women out of the informal sector inclusion Ladies in your studies and advice you to fully use I cities and digital platforms as Powerful and revolutionary tools that facilitate research as well as rapid and democratic access to information and knowledge Let me tell you self dignity Self-value self-extreme nobody can give it to you except you give it to yourself The way you value yourself is the way people will price you you have the brains You have beauty with brains and never allow any man use your body for what it is not meant for You need to give yourself that respect first because you are not any man's tool You add to where we want it to be in 2063 and calm down. We are 44 years to 2063 dream Like the regional director said dream and dream and dream and dream big I think that you are too small to make a change It is somebody that says that if you feel that you are too small Then you have not spent a night with a mosquito because if you did you will know that the mosquito careless about wings rich We sport wins disabled with handicap So my beautiful daughters of Africa you are the song you had to go you are the diamonds that make Africa sparkle We speak of the African dream that dream can only be realized if you take I city to where it is supposed to go Never allow emotional issues derail you I city day as the regional director said Inspires young girls and you know that you can do it because other girls have done it before you So the job market has an I city component and you are giving yourself employment By capacitating yourself with I city skills Agenda 2063 that vision of an integrated prosperous and peaceful Africa Driven by its own competent and skilled citizens You are the competent and skilled citizens and that competence can only come if you take I city as a serious boyfriend Hello, and that is the only way you can make a change Computing so you are joining it in agenda 2063 remember Knowledge is power you are young you are beautiful You are intelligent and the world is at your feet people must bow and cave down for you Because you've got duty with brains and when you speak people will see what you have African girls indeed can pull you represent the workforce of Africa Thank you for the African get-go code initiative Coding is across office of life, and I'm happy you even mentioned it in fashion designing I learned that when you were speaking today and coding improve the quality of human life. Yes We are proud of the work you're doing and I'm even more proud of what you girls are going to achieve Good. Love it for you at the taking. Thank you