Cell C is looking to help more previously disadvantaged girls through campaigns like the Take a Girl Child to Work Day.
According to Cell C, this year`s Take a Girl Child to Work Day campaign was its contribution to encourage increased participation by women in the country`s mainstream economy.
Chairman and CEO of Cell C, Talaat Laham, says Cell C has invested R45 million in social upliftment programmes in the last four years of its existence.
"We`re looking into the challenges that come with reaching girls from rural areas - realistic challenges like lack of workplaces in such areas," says Nathi Sukazi, Cell C media relations manager. "There are a lot of small businesses in many rural parts, but they won`t provide the girls with the right workplace environment."
The Take a Girl Child to Work Day campaign is intended to introduce the girls to workplaces where there is a lack of female participants - such as IT and engineering, he explains.
Cell C hosted over 300 girls during this year`s event and introduced them to the process of becoming self-employed and self-advanced, which will allow them to contribute to job creation to boost SA`s economy.
"We focused on showing them how to develop a business plan," says Sukazi. "We have created a platform for them to use and have exposed them to opportunities that they can work for in helping them reach their goals in different fields."
"Take a Girl Child to Work Day will continue in the foreseeable future," says Laham. "The first five years of the campaign will focus on the girl child, after which this position will be reviewed.
"We will continue with the theme approach, highlighting issues such as entrepreneurship, as we believe it is critical to skills development and capacity-building. We will also pay more attention to exposing girl learners to industries where there is still a large shortage of female professionals," he adds.
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