Ezulwini – The Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Savannah Maziya, has proposed the development of a digital application dedicated to showcasing the achievements, insights, and contributions of women leaders across various sectors of the country.
Speaking at the “Women Uplifting Women—Leading with Purpose, Impact & Sisterhood” luncheon, Maziya spoke to a gathered group of women leaders discussing how their roles can empower other women towards a more inclusive digital and financial society.
The meeting was in the backdrop of the United Nations (UN’s) call for women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Maziya, who is no stranger to digital tech, emphasised that women’s empowerment – powered by the belief that empowered women are key to sustainable development – must take centre stage in the government programmes, including in the “Government in Your Hand” digital programme, which was designed to bring governance closer to the people.
“The role you guys play is so important. What is even more critical is how as a ministry we can assist you,” she said.
Echoing the minister’s sentiments, the Centre for Financial Inclusion (CFI) Managing Director, Sizakele Dlamini, called it “a great idea”, emphasising that women in remote and underserved areas need to be equipped with knowledge on how they could be financially stable in order to eliminate Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
“This is a great idea.
“We are about rural women and underserved areas in terms of access to finance and financial literacy,” Dlamini said.
The Building Society Managing Director (MD), Mbali Sibanyoni, also noted that the country is lacking in empowering young girls to be job creators and move away from wanting to be employed.
Moreover, Women Farmer Foundation (WFF) founder Sonia Paiva raised a critical point in that it calls for being intentional if one does things differently while having the mindset of achieving SDGs by 2030.
“In my instance, you don’t just put women in positions, but you teach them,” she noted.
The minister emphasised that this should be instilled at grassroots levels and should be included in the school’s curriculum so that the young generation can be knowledgeable at early stages.
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