The Department of Communications (DOC) is encouraging women to start using information as knowledge to empower their businesses.
This was revealed at the annual Women in ICT Workshop, presented by the DOC, in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ), in Soweto.
In one of her previous speeches, communications minister Dina Pule mentioned that knowledge is now recognised as the driver of productivity and economic growth, leading to a new focus on the role of information, technology and learning in economic performance.
The government says ICTs are vital in improving the growth of SA's economy, and women need to be part of the information highway. SA is facing the same challenges experienced by global companies in the knowledge-based economy because of the lack of information sharing and technology skills in the country, it adds.
Challenges emerge when women do not play a role in the ICT sector, as, according to the DOC, SA is a nation of diversity with approximately 50 million citizens, roughly 52% of them women. Despite this, women are still under-represented in top management structures in the ICT sector. The DOC stated that top management positions are still male-dominated, making it difficult for gender equality policies to be fairly implemented.
However, the government says it is working hard in trying to correct this through different forums, locally and internationally.
According to Tebogo Makgato, one of the speakers at the workshop, the role of ICT in SMEs is to leverage the importance of the business or services offered. ICT influences growth for small businesses in all sectors by creating the need to communicate more information, said Makgato. Women in SMEs were encouraged to make good use of the opportunities that ICT offers, such as communicating effectively with their clients, and were advised on the importance of having a Web presence to attract more clients using the latest technology.
According to government, there is still much work to be done in the ICT sector, and with this in mind, it adopted the ITU's proposed policies and strategies regarding opportunities for women and girls in ICT.
Government says it aims to achieve gender equality, greater empowerment and education through such initiatives. More awareness must be raised for people to start taking advantage of the opportunities and benefits offered by ICT.
Other government initiatives include the women and new media programme, which is aimed at ensuring women take part in the digital migration by adhering to the policy document that government is working on. The UJ CSBD, as a government partner, also offers a basic IT skills programme for women.
The amateur radio-training programme also targets women and offers them training in the field of broadcasting, enabling them to receive and transmit information in their communities. Cell C and the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (Nemisa), which targets particularly disabled women in rural areas, are also partners of government in its drive to empower more women.
In conclusion, government encouraged young women present at the workshop to consider ICT when choosing careers.
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