Information
and communication technology (ICTs) tools have for a long time been considered
boring, too technical and specifically for men. This is despite the numerous
advantages that ICTs offer with regard to personal development for both men and
women. KAPALA CHISUNKA writes on how Zambia
Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) are changing this perspective through its various
initiatives.
FOR a long
time issues of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have been
considered by many as an industry for men. Many women seem to have shunned the
industry despite the immense advantages and benefits that can be reaped from
ICTs.
Fortunately,
that perception seems to be changing in the recent past as more and more women
have realized the potential that ICTs offer, which, if effectively tapped into,
can contribute to their personal development.
The
evolution of technologies has changed the dynamics for many and this has
subsequently led many women and girls into the terrain that was once considered
to be for the men folk because ICTs can be used as a catalyst in different
areas of development such as e-commerce, e-health, e-learning just by a click
of a button and usually in the comfort of the home.
To harness
the different opportunities using ICTs that are available for women and girls,
the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) as a
regulator has put in place deliberate measures to engage women and girls into
ICT activities and careers.
As a member
of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and working in
collaboration with the union, ZICTA, through its projects, endeavors to ensure
that ICTs are effectively used by all, especially women and girls, and as a
catalyst to curb social and economic ills such as poverty, maternal mortality,
illiteracy and early marriages.
ZICTA says
its aim is to ensure that ICTs are brought as close to the people as possible
and that it cuts through social class, gender, and age and not be restricted to
location. Thus the deliberate effort to bridge the very obvious gap between
girls and boys in terms of knowledge in ICTs.
It is
because of the importance that it attaches to ensuring that ICTs are available
to all that earlier this year for World Telecommunications & Information
Society day, ZICTA invited and engaged in a discussion with women and girls
from different organizations in line with the year’s theme as adopted by ITU – “Women and Girls in ICTs”.
Female
pupils from different schools and women from different walks of life within the
country were invited to participate in workshops to commemorate this day with
ZICTA, the government and other stakeholders in the ICT industry and encouraged
to take up ICTs and science skills in schools. The workshops were held in
Chipata, Kitwe and Lusaka.
“ZICTA is
promoting access to ICTs in women and girls, and is determined to ensure that
women become competent and confident in ICTs. Zambia should have gurus in ICTs
and it should start in our homes. There is abundant information on the internet
on education, health, finance, cookery and so all a woman needs to do is goggle
it,” ZICTA says.
ZICTA will
also be launching an ambassador’s programme aimed at promoting women and girls
in ICTs. It intends to create an appetite for more information on ICTs for
girls by sending ‘Ambassadors’ to various girls’ schools to talk to them about
the relevance of technology in meeting their social and economic needs.
Also, going
forward, Zambia, as a member state of ITU, will be participating in activities
annually every fourth Thursday in April to commemorate Girls in ICT Day which
was recently launched by ITU. This Day celebrates girls’ interests and
strengths, and encourages them to choose a career in information and communication
technologies (ICTs).
In
harnessing ICTs and stimulating interest among school-going girls, ZICTA has
embarked on an ICT story-telling competition in schools. The competition mainly
targets girls and aims to enlighten them on how ICTs impact on their lives as
well as how they can effectively infuse them in their lives for maximum
benefits.
The
competition is for a specified age bracket and entries will be sent to ZICTA,
where the best entries will be picked and used in a compilation of an ICT story
book.
“All
these measures in schools are aimed at ensuring that Zambia is not left behind
in terms of bridging a generation gap in technological advancement especially
among women and girls in particular,” ZICTA says.
Although,
ZICTA has particular interest to cultivate interest among women and girls, men
and boys have also been included in several projects meant for developmental
advancement of the Zambia youth in terms of ICTs.
Some of the
projects that ZICTA has been implementing include the Connecting Learning
Institution project. Under this project, it has been establishing computer
laboratories in primary and secondary schools as well as institutions of higher
learning.
The
Authority has also been providing skills training to empower teachers with the
necessary skills. It is also envisaged that ICTs will be used for
administrative purposes because school staff will also have access to the
computers.
“Although
this project is for pupils, teachers will also benefit because they are part
and particle of the beneficiary school. This is also another way of expanding
capacity for female teachers in ICTs. Interesting to note that in some schools
female teachers are actually heading the computer laboratories,” ZICTA says.
ZICTA said
the establishment of computer laboratories in schools also subsequently
benefits the communities as a lot of people will equally have access to
computers and also familiarise themselves with the concept of innovative
technologies.
“Women
can play a great role in ICTs and thats the reason there is need to stimulate
interest towards ICTs. Women need to be encouraged not to stay away from ICTs
but use them for personal development. There is a lot that they can use the
internet for apart from communication,” ZICTA says.
However,
despite the numerous advantages in ICTs, ZICTA is quick to caution women
especially to develop protective mechanism of using ICTs wisely. This is
because people will always abuse technology through hacking or for pornographic
purposes to their detriment and that of the nation. Children are also
vulnerable to pedophiles that use false identification to lure young victims.
Through the
ITU Child Online Protection initiative which ZICTA is domesticating, the young
users of ICTs will be sensitized about what to look out for and how to avoid
trouble as they use the very vital tool for development.
Daily Mail Zambia
Daily Mail Zambia