Local women must think tech

Women must actively engage in searching for and identifying suitable related technologies for their enterprises.

This was stressed by deputy minister of trade and industry Elizabeth Thabethe at the 2011 Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) Conference this week.

“They need to set trends and educate themselves in order to set best practices. South African women must think big and seek to provide solutions through technological innovation, not just for SA, but for global markets.”

The deputy minister said it is the department's vision for women to become a strong and visible component of both SME and big business sectors.

“It is not only just SA, but the world over, that recognises that women's enterprises are central and must be counted as part of those successfully growing the economy.”

She added that despite efforts deployed towards economic empowerment of women, the majority of the active female population continues to be confined in the micro and small-scale enterprises and the informal sector.

“Their integration into the formal sector is still constrained by limited access to credit, property, technology and technical skills.”

For this reason, innovation and technological prowess from women is required to grow the economy.

Thabethe said women's enterprises should be exposed and encouraged to adopt technology, empowering them to unlock their creativity and potential.

“By creativity, I am referring to the ability to diversify and modify our products to meet ever-changing business demands, together with the demands of our international and domestic clients.”

TWIB was designed to help SA's women entrepreneurs get access to the applied science and technology they need to catapult their businesses, and assist them to harness technology so they can move from the sidelines to the mainstream of the economy.

“The programme focuses on women entrepreneurs at all levels of business, from micro to macro enterprises, and seeks to fast-track their skills development to enable them to embrace appropriate technologies.

“Technology has the potential to alter economic activity. It can be used to replace traditional means of communication, to manage business documentation and information, to perform usual business operations, and to engage in business transactions or e-commerce.”

It is through the expansion of entrepreneurial and technological horizons that women in business will be able to fast-track economic empowerment, explained Thabethe.

The programme ultimately promotes women's understanding and use of technology with the aim of economic emancipation through women owning and running their own businesses.

The Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities will unveil a project on Friday that allows at least 4 000 disadvantaged girls to shadow working women during their school holidays.

This is specifically in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

According to the Government Communication and Information System, the project is meant to empower young girls with scarce and critical skills such as mathematics, science, engineering and technology.