Centre to empower girls to reduce gender gap in IT sector

Jabalpur: A Central government-run information technology institute in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur has launched a European Union-funded project to empower girls to reduce gender gap in the IT and related sectors in south Asia, an official said on Saturday. The Pandit Dwarka Prasad Mishra Indian Institute of Information Technology — Design and Manufacturing (PDPM IIIT-DM) here launched the year-long project on Friday, the institute's in-charge director P N Kondekar told PTI.

"Reducing the gender gap in higher and technical education in the south Asian region is the need of the hour for overall growth," professor Kondekar said.

Serious efforts are needed for greater involvement of girls in emerging technologies and future professions for the growth of the region, he said.

Elaborating on the initiative, the project team's senior professor Aparajita Ojha said, "Under the project, skill development programmes will be conducted in emerging technologies for undergraduate girls in south Asia."

"We have the expertise to train teachers for capacity building in niche areas of the IT/ITES sectors," she said.

The institute will prepare e-content for the development programme in the local language with support from teachers of countries specific to the region, the senior professor said. "We have contacted teachers in Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh and held discussions on the project," Ojha said.

The project is a part of Asi@Connect programme funded by the European Union, she added. (PTI)