Johannesburg, 15 Aug 2005
Successful women in the ICT sector should create opportunities for the disadvantaged, says HP South Africa`s CEO Thoko Mokgosi.
Mokgosi was speaking at the HP women`s day lunch at Summerplace in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, on Friday.
The annual event aims to honour women`s achievements as well as provide an opportunity to raise funds to support People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa), a non-profit organisation that campaigns against the abuse of women.
HP has supported Powa through its annual women`s day lunch for the past five years. The R82 000 raised on Friday will go towards the running costs of the organisation.
In her welcome address, Mokgosi looked back at the way women`s careers have evolved over generations. She said in the past, women worked as teachers and nurses, took care of their families and helped their communities.
They also created new career opportunities for their daughters. Mokgosi said today it is the responsibility of those women who are successful to pave the way for the younger generation.
According to T-Systems deputy CEO Mardia van der Walt-Korsten, opportunities abound for women in the ICT sector today. She also outlined strategies that young women entering the marketplace can use to leverage these opportunities to climb the corporate ladder.
These include being uncompromisingly competent and working on projects that will allow their competence to flourish and gain them recognition.
She said that while it might sound clich'e, women are often under extra pressure to deliver, whether the pressure results from colleagues or oneself.
There is also a need to try to debunk the so-called traditional traits that personify women and show they can be as effective as their male peers, she noted. However, this attitude does not take into account that more often than not, it is a woman`s ability to soften the rough edges of anger and manage conflict that makes the difference.
Mokgosi added that women should "work their way" and not try to emulate. We should not have to intimidate in order to gain results, she said.
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