A girl-child activist and air traffic controller at the Ghana Airport, Evelyn Oye Lamptey, has underscored the important role technology plays in economic empowerment in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), urging female students to embrace technology as a catalyst for empowerment.
Speaking at the 97th Anniversary and Speech and Prize-Giving Day celebration of the Krobo Girls’ Senior High School (Krogiss) at Krobo-Odumase in the Eastern Region, she urged the girls to move from the periphery – only as an end-user of technology – and aspire to be experts in the various professions within the space.
Additionally, the activist urged the girl-child to embrace technology as a yardstick for developing, harnessing and sharpening their potential as future leaders.
“We cannot talk about moulding our future human resources – physically and mentally, beauty and excellence – without observing the new normal, which is technology and digitalisation. And the girl-child must not be left out.
“As young ladies, technology is not just a tool; it is a catalyst for change. You are the architects of tomorrow, the leaders of the digital age. You have the opportunity to leverage technology to amplify your voices, pursue your passions and access resources and opportunities previously out of reach,” she urged.
The 97th commemoration was held under the theme ‘Moulding our future human resources; beauty and excellence’, emphasising the need to create a balance in educating and grooming future leaders.
The school celebrated the milestone in the history of the institution and also reminded the students of the rich legacy inherited.
Madam Oye Lamptey reiterated that technology has become the cornerstone of progress, permeating every aspect of human lives, revolutionising industries and changing means of communication, work and even thinking. But amid this digital revolution, there lies a critical need for diverse perspectives and voices to shape its trajectory.
“In an era of rapid advancement, technology is changing faster than we can imagine, with new challenges everywhere, the unexpected increasingly becoming the norm; and for that matter, we cannot hide from these changes,” she said.
Navigating complex challenges – such as climate change, healthcare and social inequality – requires innovative ideas and unique insights that will be invaluable in finding sustainable solutions.
Urging them about their future ambitions, she noted that the future is not something to be predicted but something to be created; and with brilliance and determination, the future to be created will be nothing short of extraordinary.
She appealed to the government to address the systemic barriers that hinder girls’ access to education and opportunities.
This, she said, includes combating gender stereotypes, addressing cultural norms that perpetuate discrimination, and dismantling legal and institutional barriers that limit girls’ rights and freedoms (taxes on sanitary towels).
