Saturday 14th April 2023
Four young women recently completed their bachelor programs in the area of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), as part of the Girls in ICT program sponsored by the National Information Technology Authority.
They are Molly Marapuni and Leititia Gareitz, who graduated in March this year from the Divine Word University with Bachelor of Arts in Maths and Computer Science; while Justine Tau-Maro and Esther Ismiel graduated from the Papua New Guinea University of Technology on April 5 2023, with first degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering respectively.
The four individuals are recipients of the prestigious Girls in ICT Tertiary Scholarship Program.
Since the inception of the scholarship in 2016, seven female scholars have passed through this program.
NICTA’s GICT Scholarship aims at encouraging young women to consider careers in ICT, promote gender equality in the ICT sector and meet NICTA’s social obligation to have an educated ICT society.
Currently, NICTA has sixteen (16) existing scholarships; 15 scholars from University of Technology and one from University of Papua New Guinea.
Scholarship application opens at the end of each year for female school leavers who are taking up ICT courses at a NICTA recognized institution.
The Girls in ICT Tertiary Scholarship was announced by NICTA on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on May 17 2012, with the launch of its GICT Scholarship in 2016.
The scholarship is for female students completing grade 12 and have been accepted to study any of the ICT related programs at a NICTA recognized tertiary institution in the country. It covers full tuition for duration of the program, book allowance, fortnightly stipend and transport costs.
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) last year accepted Ms. Molly Marapuni for a three month Internship program where she was attached with Web Development team.
In 2023, International Girls in ICT Day will be celebrated on 28 April 2023.