Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the introduction of its newly established localisation strategy that is aimed at placing more South Africans in leadership roles, with the emphasis being on women, in support of the ITU's endeavour of increasing the participation of women in the ICT industry.

“Huawei is part of the global society and we support the Millennium Development Goals aimed at enriching lives and advancing the development of women in business, including the ICT sector. We believe that women empowerment is a critical vehicle for economic growth and poverty alleviation,” said Christina Naidoo, COO of Huawei Technologies Africa.

Huawei's localisation strategy endeavours to recruit, train, mentor and retain more women employees within its South African branch office. Huawei fully supports the DOC's position of elevating the role of women in ICT, and further to introduce girls to careers within the industry. Huawei has intensified its gender transformation efforts by participating in a number of initiatives, including partnerships with industry peers and institutions of higher learning, as well as aligning its recruitment processes with the set targets.

“Telecommunications infrastructure and the services associated with it are key players of a healthy, growing economy. Huawei welcomes the recent pronouncement by the Honourable Minister Dina Pule to prioritise three flagship programmes aimed at building a digital information and knowledge society. We believe sound public-private partnerships are vital for the country to achieve its 100% broadband penetration target. This will also provide the opportunities to build adequate human resource capacity and accelerate technology and skills transfer across all genders,” said Naidoo.

ICT is the basic means through which information needs of industry, commerce and agriculture can be fully realised. ICT does not develop in isolation; rather, it develops in accordance with the environment in which role players operate. Technology, and ICT specifically, is a great catalyst for economic growth, especially in developing countries. The need for acquiring technology skills can therefore not be overemphasised.