Your Excellency, Ahmed Salem Bedde, Minister of Digital Transformation and Modernization of the Administration of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mr Khaled Abidine Sidi, Secretary-General, Minister of Digital Transformation and Modernization of the Administration of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia, UN Resident Coordinator in Mauritania, and all our friends in Nouakchott.
Your Excellency, Azamat Zhamangulov, Minister of digital development and innovative technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic, Your Excellency Ms Rakhat Zhusumambetova, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ms Antje Grawe, UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan, and everyone here in Bishkek.
Greetings to those joining virtually from various locations all around the world! It is a great honour to welcome you all to the ITU global celebration of International Girls in ICT Day 2025.
As you know, this year's celebration is the first to be held simultaneously in two regions as a global event, as it is co-hosted by the Commonwealth of Independent States here in Kyrgyzstan and the Arab States in Nouakchott, Mauritania.
I would like to extend ITU's heartfelt thanks to the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Digital Transition, Innovation, and Modernization of Administration of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. I would also like to extend a special welcome to the girls and young women to whom this day is dedicated.
Over the years, more than 417,000 girls and young women have taken part in International Girls in ICT Day at more than 11,590 celebrations in 175 countries worldwide, which means we are making a tangible impact – going beyond words!
What began as a small event in Geneva has become a global celebration marked at community, national and global levels by governments worldwide. I am especially pleased that this year's hosts are two countries that are committed to bridging gender divides and promoting ICT uptake among girls. The two hosts are also special in that one is a least developed country, Mauritania, and the other is a landlocked developing country.
Yes, this is a celebration, but it is also a call for action. A call for leaders and those in authority to break down barriers and to build bridges for girls and young women. And a call for young women to make the most of the opportunities available. It is also a call for men and boys to play their part in digital inclusion, so, I am delighted to have male participants here as part of the dialogue!
This year's theme is “Girls in ICT for Inclusive Digital Transformation", reminding us that true digital transformation cannot exclude half the population. Despite the incredible progress in global connectivity, the digital gender gap persists. In 2024, 70% of men used the internet but only 65% of women. That gap is even wider in some regions and communities. And behind these statistics are women and girls who are missing out on opportunities, seeing their potential unfulfilled, and facing systemic inequalities. That's why we must urgently address that gender gap.
Ladies and gentlemen, girls and young women are not just users of technology. They are innovators, creators and future leaders of our digital economies. Inclusive digital transformation means unleashing that potential, by removing the barriers that limit girls' and young women's participation. At the ITU's Telecommunications Development Bureau, we are committed to doing that and ensuring every girl and young woman has access to digital tools and training and opportunities to lead in the ICT sector.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Gokina, Pakistan's first Smart Village based on ITU's Smart Villages and Smart Islands model, where the many benefits include access to online education for young women and girls studying science for the first time as there was no opportunity and hope for them. I spoke to Neha Nasir, a young girl in Year 8 from the mountaintop town, who with renewed hope, is now on the path to becoming a doctor. She is among many girls attending science courses for the first time, all thanks to digital technology.
Another example is ITU's Youth Digital Inclusion project in South America, a partnership with the local Gran Chaco Foundation. Through this project, indigenous young people and many of them girls, in the Gran Chaco region, are receiving training in digital and soft skills, a crucial pathway for them into the ICT labour market. I was very pleased to meet some of them recently in Paraguay.
Our Digital Transformation Centres initiative is revolutionising lives in places like Ghana where women entrepreneurs can now learn digital marketing and build their businesses online and school children are taught programming languages, both of which open up new horizons for young girls.
The digital world is getting closer to persons with visual impairment through different training delivery approaches. Through our DTC initiative, girls with disabilities in Ghana are beneficiaries from the course on computer basics for visually impaired. Girls in the Philippines are also among those benefiting from Digital Transformation Centres and acquiring the skills that will help them transform their communities for the better.
Ladies and gentlemen, ITU is not alone in these efforts. They are made possible by our collaboration with Member States and partners like Ernst and Young, who teamed up with ITU-D to launch a two-year AI skills accelerator for girls' programme. We aim to train 1,000 girls and young women from marginalized communities in 12 countries. The programme has already implemented 13 workshops in six countries – India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malta, and Paraguay – supporting over 470 participants.
Another example is the work done with GSMA, EY and W4, and supported by Qualcomm under the Her Digital Skills for Life initiative. This is providing digital skills training, e-skills badges, and e-mentoring for one million women and girls by 2030.
As we celebrate this important day, I urge all stakeholders to take action in the same spirit. That means policymakers, industry leaders, educators, and community organizations, working together, across sectors and borders, to amplify the impact of these initiatives. And I call on girls and young women to claim your rightful place at the heart of digital transformation regardless of your socio-economic status, geography, or background. We are working to ensure you have the tools and support to thrive in the digital age.
Young people are a major focus of ITU's work because we believe that we need to lay the foundation of the future. This past March, ITU brought together over 400 digital change makers from 31 countries at the Global Youth Summit hosted in Varadero, Cuba. Young voices from across the globe contributed to shaping the future of digital development. We have many young people here and I believe that you too are part of this great movement of digital change makers around the world.
In November, we will be here in this very region, in Baku, for a youth celebration. We hope to see many of you, young people, at the great event. As I conclude, I would like to reiterate, let's join forces to make every day into a Girls in ICT Day, building an inclusive digital future where no girl is left behind.
Thank you!
