Using technology to empower women

By Damaria Senne, ITWeb senior journalist

Johannesburg, 16 Aug 2005

If the digital divide is not dealt with, it could lead to permanent exclusion of women from the mainstream economy, says minister of trade and industry Mandisi Mpahlwa.

Mpahlwa was speaking at the 2005 Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) conference and awards ceremony last week in Cape Town.

He outlined some of the strategic projects that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has initiated to address this challenge. These include the Innovation and Technology Programme, where businesswomen are assisted to further develop technology policy and strategy; and the annual TWIB conference and awards ceremony, which honours women entrepreneurs who use technology creatively to improve their businesses.

Mpahlwa also outlined TWIB`s role in bridging the digital divide to advance economic development. He said business technology-based solutions identified through TWIB must enable women to be innovative and creative when developing their business products. This will enable their products to compete and find a place in the international markets, he said.

Women`s enterprises should be exposed and encouraged to adopt technology empowering them to unlock their creativity and potential, he said.

The theme of the event was "expanding enterprise horizons through technology". In her speech, DTI deputy minister Lindiwe Hendricks said the theme builds on the issues that came out of last year`s conference, where SA celebrated "the fruits of our 10-year democracy".

According to Hendricks, in an assessment of the first decade of democracy TWIB recognised the need to bridge the gap between the first and the second economy. The use of technology provides an excellent means to overcome this divide and stimulate the migration of businesses from the second economy to the first economy, she said.

In addition to ensuring co-operation and partnership takes place, Hendricks emphasised the effectiveness of intervention programmes and the impact they are making on women. She said that impact is not necessarily measured by well-attended conferences but the success and growth of women in business.