The first instalment of the Wired4Women Awards highlights the importance of role models and greater participation of women in the ICT sector.
From left: Leonora Tima, Kwanele; CSIR’s Oyena Mahlasela; Taryn Du Bruin, Mr Price Group; Matshepo Soto, Tech Crafters; Rashika Ramlal, AWS; Lillian Barnard , Microsoft Africa ; Smangele Nkosi, Cisco; and Jessica Hawkey, redAcademy.
Global statistics show women are nearly absent from software development, engineering, technology research and academia, as well as at the highest levels of policy-making. They also tend to leave science and technology jobs at higher rates than men. Among the winners are Rashika Ramlal, public sector country manager and executive director at AWS, who was named leader of the year. Cisco South Africa’s Smangele Nkosi was named top IT business development executive. Lillian Barnard, Microsoft Africa president, took home the trailblazer award.
“It is so important for us to honour women who make the world work. The other aspect is that when you empower women, you empower communities because they unlock so much more. “There are still a lot of processes that exist in the system that are not conducive for women and that’s why we lose a lot of women in our sector…because we haven’t created corporate structures that support women. When you lose us, you lose money if you’re a capitalist.”
The category was described as blazing a trail in the wilderness, with the winner encouraged to continue creating a path for more women.
Lillian Barnard Microsoft Africa Nomonde White-Ndlovu Telkom Wired4women Tech Forum Gender Equality Gugu Mthembu Gender Diversity Itweb Brainstorm
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