Cisco Empowers Young Women in UAE to Join ICT Careers

At Girls in ICT Day, Attendees Learn About Innovative Technology Jobs of Tomorrow, Boosted by Dubai Smart City and World Expo 2020

DUBAI, UAE – May 12, 2014 – Cisco UAE saw strong turnout 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 field of ICT.

At Cisco UAE offices, 30 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.

“The UAE is one of the world's most exciting countries for young women to join ICT careers, thanks to strong educational support, plentiful start-up companies, and technology-infused megaprojects such as Dubai Smart City and World Expo 2020,” said Shaheen Niloufer, Partner Services Development Manager of Service Sales, Cisco UAE.

The Internet of Everything (IoE) is the networked connection of people, process, data and things, with Cisco predicting 50 billion objects connected to the Internet by 2020. As a result, the IoE is set to create unprecedented disruption across global industries – and enhance and create a wide range of ICT-related careers.

During their visit to Cisco UAE 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 Niloufer. “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.”

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.