Fundação Portuguesa das Comunicações
Portugal, 2013, May 09
GIRLS IN ICT DAY 2013
May 9th 2013
Fundação Portuguesa das Comunicações (FPC)
At the opening session, the Portuguese Communications Regulator - ANACOM, represented by the Director of Spectrum Management area, spoke about the evolution of ICTs emphasizing the advanced stage of communications that we live in. Technologies are more sophisticated and sustainable in most sectors of the economy – for instance, intelligent transport systems, biotechnology, eGovernment, among other things. It was also mentioned the general standard of the Portuguese young women in the ICT and the disparity between women and men at ANACOM – where one can still find more men than women at the Engineering Department. The presentation ended with the question "ICT in 2020?". Although it is very difficult to forecast, it is certain that there was a huge evolution and the continuity of its success depends mostly on the performance of young people.
Later on, four Portuguese Girls working in different ICT areas (Acredita Portugal, CITE, MICROSOFT and LIDE MULHER Portugal) pointed out their ideas about this issue. Some challenges were underlined:
- The urge for bigger responsibility and adaptation of young people to face the great technological changes – they must learn how to search and bring together the important information in the Internet as well as they must have more skills and creativity;
- The importance of the skills in the ICTs and the great disparity that still exists between continents - Europe and Africa: two different realities;
- The importance of the social networks in the professional and private life - advantages in sharing and exchanging information;
- Security and privacy in ICTs is a very relevant issue for young people.
After the debate the winners of the school competition were revealed and the prizes delivered.
| Elementary School Winner: One big step for men | One big step for women Nuno Elias & Gonçalo Paredes |  |
| Highschool Winner: A Challenge for Life Diana Martins e Pedro Pereira |  |
| Professional School Winner: No title Rúben Brandão & Mariana |  |
At the end of the afternoon there one had the chance to watch a video made by a partner company of this event showing different points of view from students that participated in the session. Then the Chairman of Fundação Portuguesa das Comunicações, José Luís Almeida Mota, closed the Girls in ICT Day.
Watch the video:
http://youtu.be/vH7qtaKG004
