MICT SETA Women’s Month Online Dialogue: “Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights for an Equal Future”. 

The MICT SETA hosted a Women’s Month Online Dialogue on 29 August 2020 with women in the media and ICT sector to close off women’s month under the theme: “Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights for an Equal Future”. 

This year, Women’s Month took place under unprecedented conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic which has underlined the urgent need to drive the global and country gender agenda despite constraints. The dialogue aimed to inspire and instil hope in the lives of young women of this country, address issues relating to Gender-based violence, inequalities in the workplace, economic inclusion, education, and training; and overall strategic interventions that will result in the tangible improvement in girls and women’s rights and lives.  

Honourable Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams in the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies provided the key note address, heeding the call for government and society to contribute towards advancing women empowerment in political, economic, social and cultural spheres of life.

“We felt it was imperative to involve women in our media and ICT sectors as a means to promote community and innovation for women in technology and broadly in South Africa in this dialogue. It also intended to spur conversation that will bridge the gender gaps in STEM, deliberate initiatives to support women in tech and equip women with competitive skills and a network of professionals to turn to as a motivating factor for young South African women”, said Xabiso Matshikiza, Marketing and Communications Manager at MICT SETA.

Facilitated by media personality Lerato Kganyago, the dialogue spurred conversation among the panellists with representation from The Media Workshop, M&C Saatchi, Orizur Consulting, Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology and Vuselela TVET College with key themes on gender equality, leadership, gender- based violence, economic inclusion, education, COVID19 impact and the opportunities it presents for girls and women.

Whilst this online dialogue sought to encourage fruitful, constructive and open exchanges about pertinent issues that many women still struggle with to this day, it also unearthed good women stories in the different media and ICT sectors  encouraging women to become part of the process of finding helpful solutions.