Connecting the world and beyond

GICT Day in Thailand 2021

International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated worldwide every year on the fourth Thursday of April (22 April 2021). Girls in ICT Day provides an opportunity for girls and young women to see and be exposed to the benefit of ICT in enabling their career and aspiration. To date, over 377,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 11,400 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 171 countries worldwide.

As a result of the COVID-19 situation, the reliance on ICT to support the 'new norm' have become evident and widespread. The ICT sector is a growing sector for education in both developed and developing countries. This means that qualified female students in technical fields around the world have significant opportunities available to them. These are excellent opportunities in particular for highly skilled girls and young women who are still a minority when it comes to STEM education and careers. Developing initiatives and activities to promote and encourage girls to take up study in STEM and ICT is hence a requirement.

The Girls in ICT Day Thailand initiative aims to encourage girls and young woman to pursue studying STEM, enhance their level of digital skill, and raise awareness on meaningful and safe use of ICT.

Under the initiative, the program in 2021 aims:

To enhance the digital literacy of girls and young woman, particularly in the area of cyber security, ICT application, and use of digital technology which supports Thailand's Digital Economy plan and Thailand 4.0.
To encourage girls and young women to utilize ICT meaningfully and strengthen the Girls in ICT day online community in Thailand, as well as other countries in Asia and the Pacific.
To explore partnerships with various government and UN agencies to continue the support to digital literacy and digital skills development after the event.

Provisional Agenda

Date: 22 April 2021

13:00 – 13:30

Introduction by Moderator

• Session Moderator

Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Welcoming Remarks

• Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, International Telecommunication Union (Recorded video)

Special address

● Ms. Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand (TBC)

● Mr. Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, UNESCO Bangkok (TBC)

● Dr. Suphat Champatong, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Thailand

● Ms. Ajarin Pattanapanchai, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society

Thailand

Opening remarks

• Mr. Trairat Viriyasirikul, Deputy Secretary General Acting Secretary General, Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)

Followed by update from NBTC

• Mr. Notachard Chintakanond, Executive Director of the International Affairs Bureau, Office of

the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)

13:30 - 13:40

Group Photo Session

13:40 – 13:50

Meet the Ambassadors: Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kingdom of Thailand, the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Ambassador for A Day 2021 (Virtual Session)

● H.E. Dr. Sarah Taylor, Ambassador of Canada to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia

● Ms. Wanetha Sudswong, Ambassador for A Day 2021

● Ms. Pasinee Meetam, Ambassador for A Day 2021

The Ambassadors will share their inspirational messages and experience to the girls and young women in Thailand who participate in the Girls in ICT Day Thailand.

13:50 - 14:00

Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific (Virtual session)

Representative from ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (TBC) introduces Generation Connect and give the floor to the Young Leader, who will officially introduce Generation Connect Asia and the Pacific.

● Representative from ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (TBC)

● Ms. Jidapa Nitiwirakun, Student from Pattaya Redemptorist Technological College for

People with Disabilities

14:00 - 14:45

Moderated panel discussion: How can I accelerate my digital journey? (Virtual session)

Moderated by Female and Male students

● Suchat Niha, Student, School of Global Studies, Thammasat University

● Apitha Thanin, Student, School of Global Studies, Thammasat University

Girl representative to start and ask the question (2 min) (TBC)

o Mr. Kiyoung Ko, Director, APCICT/UNESCAP

o Mr. Liu Ziping, Deputy Secretary-General, APT

o Ms. Sarah Knibbs, Deputy Regional Director, UN Women in Asia and the Pacific

o Ms. Misako Ito, Adviser for Communication and Information

o Ms. Severine Leonardi, Deputy Representative, UNICEF

o Ms. Marcella O’Shea, Asia Pacific Regional Manager, Corporate Affairs, CISCO

o Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naebboon Hoonchareom, Head of Department of Electrical Engineering,

Chulalongkorn University

o Assistant Professor Dr. Prapaporn Tivayanond Mongkhonvanit, Dean of the School Global

Studies, Thammasat University

(Each speaker to have 3 min max. focusing on what specifically can be done to promote it)

14:45 – 15:30

Success Story by Women Influencer (Led by NBTC)

• Ms. Saruda Chusri to start and ask question.

• Ms. Panraphee Raphiphan, youtuber

• Ms. Yardpirun Poolun, youtuber

15:30 – 16:30

APT Leadership Programme (Virtual session)

“Shaping your future with ICT: clear and present opportunity”

Objectives:

To inspire young female students to understand opportunity out there by providing opportunity to see and talk with actual examples as possible role models for them when they think about their own career life. This session will be a trigger to encourage them to learn more about ICT skills and services.

• Ms. Sookthisa Sookthis, APT Secretariat

Opening remarks

• Mr. Masanori Kondo, Secretary General, APT

Moderated by:

• Professor Dr. Kanchana Kanchanasut, Asian Institute of Technology

Panelist:

• Ms. Montira Narkvichien, UN Women

• Dr. Rassarin Chinnachodteeranun, CEO of Listen field)

• Ms. Sirada Pichayapaiboon, Founder of The Roots Routes

• Ms. Kanpassorn Suriyasangpetch, CEO, Telemedica Company Limited.

Q&A session

16:30 - 16:40