The ‘Digital Equity Carnival’ was held to encourage girls to increase their knowledge and skills in the digital space and discuss the necessity of digital learning to create equal opportunities for girls and boys.
The international development organization Save the Children in Bangladesh organized the carnival with the participation of more than four hundred girl students on the premises of Lalmatia Girls High School and College in Dhaka on Wednesday. Participatory sessions were held at the carnival to encourage learning online safety skills and awareness, the necessity of digital skills to enter the professional field- etc. topics. Also, the present teachers and guests gave opinions on changing the social concept by giving equal importance to boys and girls in the digital space.
A panel discussion was held at the carnival, among the issues that emerged were that girls in the real context generally do not have the same level of knowledge and skills in using ICT as boys, and even with access to ICT, our societal perceptions still hold girls at equally participating with boys in digital education. The discussants said that girls must be educated in digital education to create skilled human resources and this aspect should not be avoided in eliminating gender inequality.
Cyber Teen Foundation founder and chairman Sadat Rahman participated in the carnival and said, “You have to understand your own security, digital knowledge, and education are very important to understand security. It is important for everyone to know the proper use of technology.”
Ahead of the carnival, Save the Children organized an online quiz competition for girls from March 9-15. Where the top 50 winners who participated from all over the country were given free subscriptions to more than 100 online courses for 6 months in the digital platform ‘ghoori Learning’. Dotline Bangladesh displayed digital products and services at a stall as part of the carnival at Lalmatia Girls High School and College premises.
Additional DIG of Highway Police Headquarters Farida Yasmin participated as a guest of honor in the carnival. She said, “There is a very easy way for girls to access our digital support. You can reach us using your own or your parent’s device to report any online harassment and violence. Technology knowledge and education are also essential now to ensure the safety of girls.”
Mobashira Tabassum, a student of class 9 in Lalmatia Girls School, said that they had never participated in such a large-scale digital carnival before. She said, “We need such events for the girls of the remote areas. For the country to be smart, we all have to be smart.”
Save the Children in Bangladesh Deputy Country Director Dr. Shamim Jahan, Child Protection and Child Rights Sector Director Abdullah Al Mamun, Head of Media and Communication Nusrat Amin, ICT Senior Manager Naat Babar Chowdhury, Dotlines Bangladesh Digital Services General Manager Syed Kamrul Arefin Jihad, Shakil Ahmed, National Consultant- Blended Learning, a2i; Lalmatia Girls High School and College Chairman Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and Principal Mohammad Kamruzzaman were present as guests at the carnival.
