Female interest in ICT careers growing

More school-aged girls in Barbados are showing growing interest in careers in information and communication technology (ICT), according to Data Protection Commissioner Lisa Greaves.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of this year’s Girls in ICT Day, held under the theme ‘AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future’, Greaves said the initiative is helping to shift long-standing perceptions about the sector.

“Today is Girls in ICT Day…it is the second time we’ve had it here in Barbados. The aim behind it is for girls in schools to see what careers they could have in ICT to develop an interest in ICT, because ICT has traditionally been such a male-dominated space,” she said. 

“So it’s basically to encourage young women to see any career in ICT, as a viable career for them – to see themselves as innovators and shaping the future and that sort of thing.”

Her comments come as participation levels continue to rise, reflecting a noticeable change in how young people, particularly girls, are engaging with technology-focused opportunities.

“Yes, we have definitely seen a [growing] interest. Last year we had way less girls, and every year it gets bigger,” Greaves noted. “Then of course whenever we go out and we talk to schools, everybody is very much interested, boys and girls in ICT careers.”

She pointed out that students are not only gravitating toward traditional ICT roles, but are also exploring newer, more creative pathways within the digital space.

“We [see interest in] social media if you’re using ICT for marketing, if you’re an influencer, cybersecurity, traditional ICT careers like database administrator – all of those are still needed – technology officers, that kind of thing. Last year we had roughly about 40 girls, this year we’ve got 100,” Greaves revealed.

The growth, she added, is being supported by a number of outreach efforts designed to keep ICT visible and accessible to students year-round.

“Along with this, we also have the Science Festival which encourages ICT. We run that every year. We have a school road show that they did to encourage ICT, so we’ve got like three or four initiatives every year that we roll out to try to encourage that interest,” Greaves said.

Thursday’s event brought together students from around 10 secondary schools across the island, offering them hands-on exposure to a wide range of emerging technologies. 

Students engaged with virtual reality systems, tried their hand at basic coding, and observed cybersecurity investigation demonstrations. Activities also included drone exercises, robotics, and water robotics, giving students a practical sense of how ICT is applied across different fields. 

(SB)