200 000 schoolgirls go to work

By Iain Scott, ITWeb group consulting editor

Johannesburg, 26 May 2005

About 200 000 girls are being hosted at more than 400 organisations today as part of Cell C`s Take a Girl Child to Work Day.

This is more than double the 160 organisations that took part in the project last year, hosting 150 000 girls.

Pam Radebe, Cell C`s corporate social investment manager, says although just over 400 private and public sector organisations are registered to host at least 20 girl learners each, there are hundreds of other individuals, companies and public organisations that are running their own programmes today.

Radebe adds that the "amazing" response to the project "indicates that our society has embraced the campaign as a necessary intervention to highlight the importance of increasing women`s participation in the mainstream economy in the long-term".

The aim of the campaign is to provide female learners in grades 10, 11 and 12 with workplace experiences that broaden their career thinking and highlight the important role women have to play in South African society.

Radebe says Comparex Africa (now Business Connexion), awarded a bursary as part of the 2003 event, and this is being replicated by Eskom and Microsoft this year. Eskom is also hosting 420 girls countrywide.

Corridors of power

Four girls from disadvantaged communities are to spend the day with senior officials in the Presidency, later joining President Thabo Mbeki and his speechwriters to finalise his Budget vote speech before ending the day at Mbeki`s side in Parliament.

In the past, contributions made by the girls have been reflected in the president`s speech in Parliament.

Other girls interested in politics will also spend the day learning about how government operates. The Department of Communications says communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri will host a girl at a plenary session while another will attend the meeting of the Economic Cluster on the Programme of Action with communications director-general Lyndall Shope-Mafole.

Radebe says that from this year, Cell C will conduct comprehensive pre- and post-day scientific research among Take a Girl Child to Work Day stakeholders to ensure the success of the programme is properly tracked, with a full reportback once the analysis is complete.

"In the past we have mainly relied on feedback that we have received from participating stakeholders," she says. "We have, however, realised that this is not adequate as a whole lot of positive spin-offs remain unknown to us without the active solicitation of such information."

However, she says Cell C has found that many of the host companies tend to develop long-term relationships that are beneficial to their partner schools.

"We have been overwhelmed by the jostling by schools for participation. The Department of Education`s endorsement of the campaign has ensured that schools accept the project for what it is - a national effort to open career opportunities for girl learners."