Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee Hon Nkhensani Kubayi,
Councillors Fikile Desi and Wandisile Jikeka,
Director-General of the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Rosey Sekese
CEO of Telkom, Mr Maseko
Learners and teachers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Members of the media,
To the youth assembled here today, I say what’s up? Or should that be Whatsapp? Many, if not all of you, use Mixit, Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp to communicate in the social media arena. But why should it be that you are only end-users, and not creators, of social media platforms? Why should it be that not many young women are entering the ICT space in South Africa?
We are here today to expose young women to opportunities within the ICT sector and also bring them into contact with leaders in the industry. It is only fitting that we end our celebration of Women’s Month in 2014 by honouring you young women who are the future of this great country.
The ICT sector is a vast, diverse industry which offers many opportunities to young women such as network systems architecture, applications development, software development, telecomms and network engineering, to name but a few.
The International Telecommunication Union estimated that by the end of 2013, 2.7 billion people (40 percent of the world's inhabitants) were using the Internet.
However, men have 25 percent more access to the Internet than women, and the gender gap soars to nearly 45 percent in regions like sub-Saharan Africa.
It is important to understand that technology and access to the Internet is essential to women's empowerment and it is key to overcoming these barriers in the first place.
The claim is that the Internet is one of the greatest equalisers to human advancement today. Information and communication technologies are important tools for advancing gender equality, women and girl's empowerment, and a more equitable and prosperous South Africa.
Becoming technologically skilled can play a major role in getting and creating jobs, being competitive in the job market and enabling young women to lift themselves out of poverty and contribute to the economic development of South Africa.
Fifty two (52) percent of South Africa’s population are women, yet only 36 percent of the entrepreneurs of this country are female. This must be corrected, and ICT can be the one of the ways this can be achieved.
Today, seated among us, is a young woman whose name is Thuli Volwana. Thuli and her partner have developed the first solar-powered tablet in South Africa. What makes this young woman remarkable is that she and her partner, in terms of ICT, are almost completely self-taught. This is what can be achieved when you are motivated, determined and ambitious. We would like to encourage young female entrepreneurs such as Thuli to continue with their innovations within the ICT field and we call on the private sector and government to support these ventures.
The rise of social media has created opportunities for young women to raise their issues on many platforms across the world. ICT can also allow the mobilisation of international support and action. Thus, thanks to the power of the Internet, a new wave of activism has emerged through social media.
One recent case that illustrates this phenomenon is the international mobilisation around Boko Haram's kidnapping of school girls in Nigeria. Across the continent, through social media, people, and in particular, women mobilised on social media through the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls to campaign for the release of the schoolgirls.
ICT has been the focus of many empowerment organisations for women across the continent as well.
As an advocacy tool, ICT can help empower women to demand true reform to empower African women to share ideas and advance the struggle for gender equality. It can thus be used as a way to create a more equal society.
ICT is a limitless platform for women's grassroots organisations so they have a collective voice in public, thus enabling them to make their voices heard more clearly.
Without access to ICT, women are at greater risk of being left behind as agents of change and leaders in a rapidly changing global society. We must ensure that women, as well as men, at all social levels and in all countries, can access and use such technology.
With South Africa's growing youth population and increasing competition for jobs and other opportunities, addressing these issues is imperative in any effort to promote equal opportunities for women and financial independence.
ICT is one of fastest growing industries in the world and offers limitless opportunities to young woman who are prepared to dream big and break down barriers. ICT has been earmarked by government as one of the four key sectors for job creation.
The creation of apps for mobile phones is revolutionising not only the mobile phone industry, but it is affecting almost all other industries as well. We must develop South African mobile apps to solve South African challenges.
An example of this is a spaza shop app, which has been created by a student at the iNESi Institute. It allows spaza shop owners to record stock purchases and sales, and thereby give them more control over their inventory.
There are many opportunities available for young women where bursaries, internships and scholarships for ICT education are offered by FET’s, organisations, colleges, companies and government departments. You should grasp these opportunities with both hands.
It is also of vital importance that teachers not only take an interest, but also continually up skill themselves in the ICT field.
Our president, His Excellency Jacob Zuma, has instructed the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services to build telecommunication infrastructure across South Africa with the aim of ensuring that everyone has access to reliable high speed Internet or broadband by 2020. He has instructed us to use ICTs to improve service delivery to our people. He has instructed us to prioritise education and assist ensure that every learner has a tablet by 2019. Is it not 'cool' that you will not have to carry big bags to school anymore?
I hope that you will make the most of today’s experience and that it opens up your eyes to a world of opportunity. As our beloved icon Tata Madiba said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Go out there and change the world.
Enkosi.
