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Brainstorm's Isibani encourages women in ICT

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 20 May 2015
Only 20% of all the people employed in the ICT sector are female, says ITWeb editorial director Ranka Jovanovic.
Only 20% of all the people employed in the ICT sector are female, says ITWeb editorial director Ranka Jovanovic.

ITWeb Brainstorm's Isibani skills development programme will encourage young women to go into ICT through an afternoon of job-shadowing.

During August, the Isibani Ladies Day Campaign will seek to encourage young women to get into the ICT sector by matching them with female leaders in the industry. Up to 100 female students will be selected to spend a day with a top ICT female professional at a local company.

Isibani's idea is to encourage these students, from all backgrounds, to choose ICT as a career. The campaign is open to teenagers and young adults.

Brainstorm editor Jane Steinacker explains: "The idea is to get young ladies to meet top female CIOs and professionals. Our goal is to introduce 100 ladies to the ICT sector."

Steinacker says Isibani will approach vendors, software companies, hardware companies as well as service companies, among others, to host at least one young woman. She adds it will also work with non-governmental organisations, schools and community centres to identify young females who could be keen on a career in ICT. "Each young lady will spend a day with an ICT leader."

Oracle, Accenture, Siyafunda, Women in IT and the IITPSA have already pledged their support.

Changing perceptions

Brainstorm brainchild Isibani has formulated this plan because many young women do not realise a career in ICT is a possibility, says Steinacker. "As a result, SA is losing out on the opportunity to diversify management talent, as women bring specific skills into boardroom."

ITWeb editorial director Ranka Jovanovic says the company is supporting this initiative because its own surveys show only 20% of those employed in the ICT sector are women, "a statistic that hasn't changed for more than a decade".

Despite this, she says, the ICT industry has seen a huge transformation - technology has become central to innovation and growth in every industry sector. "The traditional role of IT has changed, the scope and profile of tech jobs has changed, and mobile tech has levelled the field when it comes to access to technologies for both young men and women. However, there is still not enough education or information about tech career opportunities for girls."

Jovanovic adds the traditional view that IT is a male domain is still a lingering perception, and a reality too. "ITWeb Brainstorm's Isibani wants to change this."

Isibani aims to identify, focus on and foster the most successful local skills initiatives, bringing the industry together to pool knowledge and resources to boost skills in SA. It will target young learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and encourage companies to step up and provide facilities, training, employment opportunities, time or funding.

It will also co-ordinate the various activities, measuring the success of programmes to ensure resources are effectively used, and provide the platform for everyone involved to communicate and share ideas.

Companies that are keen to host, or nominate, a young woman can e-mail Steinacker.

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