THE country is making noticeable strides in narrowing the digital gender gap with women accounting for about 59% of digital skills trainees across national programmes.
Minister of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Savannah Maziya said this demonstrated measurable progress towards closing the digital gender gap. She was speaking during the UAE-African Women Leaders Conference, where the country strengthened its presence on the global platform for women empowerment, leadership, entrepreneurship and digital transformation.
The conference held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) brought together women leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers from across Africa and the UAE to strengthen partnerships and exchange expertise on advancing women’s participation in leadership and socio-economic development.
Maziya led the country’s virtual participation in her capacity as Global Chairperson of SDG 5 and led discussions under the session titled ‘Women Leading Digital Transformation’.
The session focused on women’s leadership in policy and digital transformation, women’s participation in the digital economy and the role of the ITU Women Ministers and Leaders Network in advancing inclusive digital development.
Other local speakers during the session were Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) Deputy Governor Felicia Dlamini-Kunene and Small Enterprise Development Company (SEDCO) Chief Executive Officer Khethiwe Mhlanga.
They spoke under the themes ‘Women Shaping the Future’ and ‘Women In Entrepreneurship’, respectively. She said the country recognised that digital transformation must be measured not only by connectivity statistics, but also by the extent to which it improves the lives of people in underserved and marginalised communities, particularly women and girls in rural areas.
She explained that government through the Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF) has intentionally shifted its focus beyond infrastructure expansion towards promoting meaningful digital participation. Among the initiatives currently being rolled out are digital literacy programmes targeting women and girls, expansion of digital skills programmes through community centres and libraries, establishment of community ICT hubs and rural public access centres and assistive technologies for persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
The minister further highlighted the Learning Passport Programme which supports inclusive digital education across the country. Maziya said the participation of women in these programmes demonstrated encouraging progress toward closing the long-standing digital gender divide and creating more opportunities for women within the digital economy.
“What is important for us is ensuring that technology and innovation are solving real problems for our people. We must intentionally involve young people, especially young women, from the earliest stages of their education and careers so that they enter these spaces with confidence and purpose,” she said.
Maziya described the opportunity as significant for both the country and women leaders across Africa. She further highlighted local pursuit towards ensuring digital inclusion through the national digital transformation agenda.
“Eswatini recognises that digital transformation must be measured not only by connectivity statistics, but by the extent to which it improves the lives of people in underserved and marginalised communities, particularly women and girls in rural areas,” said Maziya.
