''Girls in ICT Day'' is marked each year on the fourth Thursday of April, falling this year on 25 April.
The day was established in 2010, under International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Resolution 70, with the goal of promoting gender equality in information and communication technologies (ICT) through policies and programmes which contribute to the socio-economic development of young women, creating opportunities and encouraging the choice of an education and professional career in ICT.
A range of initiatives are organised around the world each year to celebrate the day in schools, universities, government institutions, institutes and companies, showing young women and girls the practical side of professional ICT activities. This year, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the ITU hosted a joint initiative to ensure maximum visibility for the day and to stress the importance of getting more women into ICT-related education and employment.
In Portugal, the day was marked by FPC - Fundação Portuguesa para as Comunicações (Portuguese Communications Foundation). However, because ''Girls in ICT Day'' coincided this year with a national holiday in Portugal, it was decided to mark the day later, on 9 May, the day on which commemorations are due to come to a close. And so, in addition to other activities targeting schools and universities, a round-table will be hosted on 9 May to debate themes related to ''Young Women in Information and Communication Technologies''.
Further information:
- Girls in ICT Portal http://girlsinict.org/
- "Girls in ICT Day 2013", co-organised by the European Commission, the European Parliament and the ITU, 25 April 2013, Brussels http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/dae/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=9558
- ITU, Girls in ICT Day 2013, 25 April http://www.itu.int/en/action/women/girls-ict-day/Pages/2013.aspx
- ITU Plenipotentiary Resolution 70 (Guadalajara, 2010) http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/sis/Gender/Documents/Resolution_70_2010.pdf
