By Margaret Kamba
Her Excellency, The First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has committed herself to helping ensure an improved participation of girls in ICT.
She made the commitment during the celebrations to mark the International Girls in ICT Day held at Baring Primary School in Mutare, this Friday where she was also confirmed as the Patron for Shetech.
The First Lady noted that their participation in ICT will help proffer solutions bedevilling the country and world.
"I am honoured to stand before you today as The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe to officiate at this momentus occasion, the 2024 International Girls in ICT Day. This day is a celebration of the potential and achievements of our girls in the field of information and communication technology. Today, we are not just celebrating the potential of one child but of an entire generation of girls who are poised to change the world through their passion for ICT," Her Excellency Dr Mnangagwa said.
"The inclusion of the girl child in ICT is not just a matter of equality but that of national development. In today's digital age, ICT is not just a luxury but a necessity to economic growth and social progress, and yet women and girls are still under- represented in this field.
"I stand before you today to say this must change. We must create opportunities for our girls to pursue careers in ICT not just because it is a lucrative field but because it has the power to transform our country. Imagine a Zimbabwe where our girls are not just consumers of technology but creators of it. Imagine a Zimbabwe where our girls are developing innovative solutions to our country's most pressing problems."
Speaking at the same occasion, the Minister of ICT and Courier Services, Honourable Tatenda Mavetera, said the girl child must have female role models in order to pursue her dream in ICT.
"This day is a significant milestone in promoting gender diversity and female leadership. The current statistics in ICT reflect a persistent under representation. Their participation in ICT is quite low in software development, engineering, research and academics and also policy making roles. The theme this year underscores the critical need for strong female role models in science and technology, engineering and mathematics roles. To thrive in ICT, girls must be exposed to women in leadership positions," Minister Mavetera said.
"As we celebrate this year's celebrations of the Girls in ICT Day, we want to applaud our father, the President, His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for his visionary leadership."
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Honourable Torerai Moyo commended the ICT Ministry for providing ICT laboratories in schools.
"It is essential to promote role models to inspire and motivate our girls. As a Second Republic, we pledge to promote ICT in education for all students," Minister Moyo said.
"We must collaborate with the private sector, academia and civil society to create internship programmes, scholarships and industry partnerships that expose the girl child to the real world applications of ICT thereby preparing our girls for challenging opportunities in the future."
The International Telecommunications Union ITU Programme Officer Anne Rita Ssemboga commended Zimbabwe for its active participation in the field of ICT.
"I want to express our gratitude to the Government of Zimbabwe who are active players in ITU. To show that Zimbabwe is an active participant in ITU, one of our elected leaders and holds one of the biggest positions is held by a Zimbabwean Dr Cosmas Zavazava. I want to encourage you to continue promoting the girl child to grace the ICT sector."
The Director General of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe Gift Kallisto Machengete revealed that statistics show a low participation of girls in ICT with only 43 percent of girls with Internet use while boys are at 65 percent. The age of initial internet use being 9 years for boys and 10 years for girls. Cyber risk at 43 percent of girls and 51 percent of boys.
He commended The First Lady for the work she is doing to instill the cultural values of our society.
The International Girls in ICT Day was held under the theme "Leadership".