UAE TRA celebrates International Girls in ICT Day

The event was attended by over 150 students from schools and universities across the UAE. The panel of ambassadors from the TRA included Noor Shamma, Acting Director of Corporate Communication Affairs; Nada Al Fardan, Manager in Consumer Affairs; Sumaya Al Hajeri, Assistant Manager in Regulatory and Licensing Affairs and Ishraq Al Hosani, Senior Officer in the Contracts Department.

'International Girls in ICT Day' is a global initiative that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of information and communications technology. The initiative is backed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) where Member States including the UAE were invited to host events that would encourage girls to pursue ICT related careers.

Commenting on the event, Noor Shamma, Acting Director of Corporate Communication Affairs said, "In the UAE, we are lucky, as women, to have the continuous support from our leadership; providing us with equal opportunities in the workforce to contribute, excel and prove our roles in different sectors. Proof of this, are the many aspiring women in the nation".

Nada Al Fardan, Manager in Consumer Affairs added, "In today's world, women can join the ICT workforce irrespective of the degrees they hold. There are various career options available today in which ICT plays a key role such as aviation, law and medicine, so you don't have to major in ICT to realize the benefits of this sector."

Sumaya Al Hajeri, Assistant Manager in Regulatory and Licensing Affairs emphasized, "Women are the future of ICT as they possess creative skills, motivation for hard work and the ability to learn quickly. Female talent is needed in this sector and we highly encourage girl students to pursue this field."

Ishraq Al Hosani, Senior Officer in Contracts Department added, "Women are social by nature; therefore, they have the skill and talent to fit into any careers they choose and must possess self-confidence and drive to take their ambitions forward."

Today, women account for 49.3% of the national population in the UAE and are at the forefront of the workforce in both the government and private sectors. Therefore, as the ICT industry continues to evolve and grow in the UAE, girl students are being encouraged to gain the necessary qualifications they need to fulfil the future aspirations of the country. The TRA views such initiatives as fundamental to supporting the UAEs future economic diversification through the creation of a knowledge based society and one of the Authority's main goals is to support education and empowerment for women in the UAE. Currently, 42% of the TRA workforce consists of women with 112 female employees across various business divisions.