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Wandile Mloyi
INFORMATION and Communication Technology (ICT) is an essential element in today’s competitive business world, particularly to entrepreneurship which has emerged as an invaluable tool for economic empowerment of women.
This came to attention on Wednesday this week when the country joined the rest of the World in commemorating International Women’s Day running under the theme, “Digital Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”.
The theme provides a critical space to not only discuss the digital gender gap but also the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence.
International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, brings attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights and violence and abuse against women.
The celebrations brought changes and positive thinking towards female entrepreneurs and women in business in Bulawayo as they were urged to step into the technological world.
Not only were they schooled about their involvement in science and technology, but they also celebrated their entrepreneurial achievements during the commemorations held at the Bulawayo Large City Hall.
It also emerged that ICTs were opening up the potential for a number of business ventures for women entrepreneurs as well as a powerful catalyst for political and social empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality.
Entrepreneur and co-founder of an engineering company Tea in 60, Michelle Rutendo Maphosa, said in today’s technologically advanced world, ICT had become a key solution for comprehensive development starting from poverty eradication and empowerment of minority groups, such as women.
She said ICT was an invaluable tool that keeps their businesses moving.
“Nowadays, people depend on technology as a way of boosting their businesses. More women should venture into ICT and upgrade their businesses,” said Maphosa.
She emphasised that ICTs were providing women entrepreneurs with unique and vast opportunities to empower themselves in a multifarious way.
Globally it has been realised that entrepreneurship is an invaluable tool for ensuring women empowerment as it leads to economic independence for women.
Bulawayo provincial education officer, Lavenea Moyo, said there were less women in the technological field and the statistics revealed the scarcity of women in science and technology.
“Women are hindered by factors such as stereotyping, cultural barriers, lack of female role models and gender-based violence. Because of this, they fail to explore other fields such as ICT. It is time for society to also support women to engage in science and technology,” said Moyo.
In helping women in ICT, Young Women in Business Global Organisation (YWBG) came up with a programme that offers ICT training to women all over Zimbabwe.
YWBG director general Faith Legato Ebineng said the programme would be completed in two months.
“This programme will allow learners to gain knowledge and skills needed to effectively apply, use and manage technology in solving societal problems,” said Ebineng.
She also urged women entrepreneurs to incorporate ICT in their business ventures so as to manage the operations as the extensive use of ICTs was changing the way people or companies work.
A participant, Ellen Sibanda, hailed the symposium saying it opened new avenues for them as women entrepreneurs.
“We learnt that ICTs allow women entrepreneurs to sell their products in the most profitable markets and determine the optimum timing of scale. IT also increases productivity, improves job performance and enhances job effectiveness in women-oriented businesses and that use of ICT has become relevant in every business sector as it brings increased profits through business networking,” she said.
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