Stanbic Bank Ghana, in partnership with KNUST’s Women in STEM (WiSTEM), has organised a 5-day bootcamp to empower girls and young women in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The annual camp, which seeks to also bridge the gender gap in STEM courses and careers in the country was on the theme ‘Innovation and Technology for STEM Education in Ghana: Equipping the Girl Child’.
Speaking at the opening ceremony attended by researchers, professionals, academics and students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Head of Digital and eCommerce at Stanbic Bank, Jemila Abdulai, acknowledged the critical role STEM plays in today’s technological environment; and reiterated Stanbic Bank’s commitment to encourage development in this pivotal field of study.
“Stanbic Bank is very grateful to KNUST and the WiSTEM for the unique opportunity to be part of this laudable effort to inculcate a love of STEM into Senior High School girls. Ghana is our home, and we will continue to drive her growth by investing in the next generation of leaders. Stanbic Bank is committed to promoting STEM education as well as bridging the STEM gender gap to foster sustained inclusion and equality for generations to come”, she said.
Jemila also implored the girls to aspire higher and avoid self-censorship because sexual dimorphism, according to her, only exists in books and the minds of people.
“Don’t limit yourselves in any way; keep those dreams alive because we share in your dreams and believe you can achieve everything you put your mind to. None of the reasons for the lack of women in STEM indicate that it is due to biological differences. Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. Let’s make it a point to leave here with a renewed mind, confidence, goals and a will to conquer the world of science,” she added.
Three hundred (300) girls from twenty-three (23) Senior High Schools in the Ashanti, B/A and Western North Regions had the opportunity to learn and develop their skills and knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through a series of activities and training programmes with facilitators from Women in STEM Ghana, Stanbic Bank and other leaders in STEM. The students were also taken through reproductive health, personal grooming and financial literacy sessions from Monday, September 4 to Friday, September 8. Highlight of the camp was the ‘Stanbic/WiSTEM Challenge’, with exciting prizes for the young delegates.
Stanbic Bank Ghana has partnered many academic institutions and Fintechs to deliver a number of STEM-related projects which have so far given beneficiaries access to about 300 mentors and advisors across 48 disciplines and technical areas, access to structured training programmes and curriculum, internship opportunities with Stanbic Bank and other partners, and due diligence simulations for student entrepreneurs – most of whom are women.
