Cisco saw strong turnout across the Middle East on its annual Girls in ICT Day, with young women learning about the innovative technology-related careers of tomorrow.

The recent Girls in ICT Day is an annual day of activities organized by the International Telecommunications Union, to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing technology fields.

At Cisco offices in the UAE, Oman, and Lebanon, 67 girls and young women 14-to-18 years old learned from female role models about the vital role that ICT plays in employability, and how the “Internet of Everything” will create the technology-related jobs of tomorrow.

Cisco has been involved in Girls in ICT Day since it was founded in 2010. In the 2014 edition, Cisco hosted 2,500 young women at almost 80 of their worldwide offices, and across 37 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Russia.

“The Middle East is a leading region for technology innovation, with the potential to enable women to take on leading roles in the sector for years to come,” said Tarek Ghoul, General Manager, Cisco Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan. “ICT careers in the Middle East are boosted by strong public and private sector investment in ICT infrastructure, high levels of ICT education and entrepreneurial spirit, and rapid uptake of mobile devices.”

During their visit to Cisco offices, young women used Cisco’s collaboration platforms such as TelePresence and Jabber to interact with fellow participants across the globe, and with female role models working within Cisco, and its partners and customers.

“At Cisco, we take our commitment to making ICT career opportunities open to all seriously,” added Ghoul. “We understand the value of a diverse workforce, and believe that many more young women would pursue careers in ICT if they were better informed about the many different types of jobs available within the sector.” - TradeArabia News Service