Technology can and must be used to close the gender digital divide.
This is according to a panel of inspirational women, including activist and author Dr Pregs Govender, GirlHYPE CEO Baratang Miya, Centre for African Resource Efficiency and Sustainability (Cares) executive director Zubeida Zwavel and GirlCode CEO Zandile Mkwanazi, who showed why they are captains of industry in the digital age, during the 6th annual Robben Island Museum (RIM) Imbokodo Lecture on Friday.
The event, under the theme “Digital: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, brought together technologists, innovators, gender activists, social entrepreneurs, young women and supporters who are breaking barriers and rewriting the rules.
“What potential exists in our country, to address gender inequality, in a context where in South Africa and across the world there is growing inequality, ie income, wealth and gender inequality?
The challenge is, how will innovation and technology be used to change this?” said activist for the advancement of women’s rights and author of Love, Courage & Insubordination, Govender.
Drawing parallels between South Africans speaking multiple languages and the need to recognise that coding is a language we all have to understand, Mkwanazi, founder and CEO of GirlCode, the largest women in tech lead educational organisation in South Africa, shared her vision for how technology can and must be used to close the gender digital divide.
“How can we create awareness and provide opportunities and education to eliminate the gender digital divide? Our responsibility is to create a chain reaction that will ultimately reach the most remote rural girl child, and expose her to technology, so she may realise and unlock her potential.
“Let’s connect the dots and remove the barriers,” said Mkwanazi.
Miya of GirlHYPE, an NPO that empowers women and youth from under-represented groups in the ICT sector, unpacked how artificial intelligence is a tool women should be grabbing with both hands, to rewrite the dominant voices of the West, on the internet.
Work done by GirlHYPE in Khayelitsha has already capacitated young girls to develop an app that links unemployed youth with employment opportunities in the recycling space – just one example of how technology can be used to create solutions for problems faced by many communities across the country, with the girl child leading from the front.
With the African girl child on a pathway to success in the ICT space, sustainability cannot be left behind, said Zwavel. Cares aims to support small to medium-sized enterprises by creating awareness and giving access to sustainability mechanisms and furthering women’s roles within sustainable business.
Shining the spotlight on digitisation and sustainability, Zwavel showed how to balance the need to incorporate technology, with being responsible citizens and creating impactful solutions that will ultimately support women in the daily struggle called life.
RIM CEO Abigail Thulare called for the remarkable efforts of women leading the way in the ICT space to be carried beyond words, so the African girl child has all she needs to flourish.
“While it is widely known that men were incarcerated on Robben Island for their opposition to the apartheid system, the narrative that women in fact played a significant role as activists in ensuring democracy and freedom in South Africa is lesser known, and therein lies a responsibility of each one of us to set that record straight.
“In 2018, RIM launched the Imbokodo Lecture series, a mark of respect to women who sacrificed their lives and freedom for a more just South Africa. Note, we are not living in a just South Africa, this is work in progress.
“Some will say, (we are) not yet where we want to be, but grateful that we are no longer where we used to be, especially as women,” said Thulare.
RIM council member Quahnita Samie said the panellists were raising the bar and flying the flag for all women and especially giving Africa’s girl child hope.
“I feel like we are on our way ...to force inclusivity, to force the end of abuse, to force the existence of safe spaces for our girls to grow, develop and be the best version of themselves, fearlessly navigating tech spaces and leading from the front,” said Samie.
Cape Times