Stanbic Bank Ghana, as part of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), has presented Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) books to female students of the Ogbojo Presbyterian Junior High School at Madina, Accra.
The Head of Legal and Governance at Stanbic Bank Ghana, Doreen Illiasu who led the Stanbic Bank team to donate the books, encouraged the young girls to believe in themselves and work hard so they can be good, independent citizens in future.
“The hashtag for this year’s International Women’s Day celebration is ‘Break the Bias’, which means we are fighting against the labels people put on women just because we are women. As young girls, you must work hard to ensure that you are not defined by your gender. To show the world that you can do anything you put your minds to, you must work and learn hard,” she said.
“At Stanbic, we believe in creating a world that young girls like yourselves need to achieve your dreams. We also believe in education for young people, especially in STEM because it is a digital world now. So, today we are here to help you young ladies achieve your dreams through this donation. We know that when you achieve your dreams you will become good citizens and help Ghana achieve its dreams as well,” she added.
Receiving the items on behalf of the school, Headmistress of the Ogbojo Presbyterian Junior High School, Jessie Adjei, was grateful to Stanbic Bank and asked that they come often to visit the school.
She said: “On behalf of the teachers and students, I thank Stanbic Bank for this gesture and I pray that you come often to interact with our students and encourage them to dream. We are really thankful for the books you have brought us today”.
According to UNESCO, only 30 percent of female students enter STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) related fields, and less than 30 percent of the scientific community is composed of women. This situation is all the more alarming as STEM will be the most promising field in coming years.
The initiative by Stanbic Bank Ghana is therefore a critical intervention for women in STEM. Also present at the short donation ceremony were the Head of Learning and Development at Stanbic Bank Ghana, Akorfa Takal; and the Head of Supervision of the Ghana Education Service (GES) at the Adentan Municipal Assembly, Perry Ofori.
