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Rumbidzai Mhlanga, Sunday Life Reporter
THE Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) Trust in partnership with iRock last week held their inaugural Stem Trust Careers Fair at Liberty Christian College.
The Girls in Stem Trust Careers Fair ran under the theme, “Her digital skills, her future”. Girls in Stem Trust founder and executive director Victoria Ngono said their theme was their corner stone.
“Our values are centred on the belief that she can, thus we aim to ignite and sustain a bias towards Stem related careers through a wide array of programmes and activities that will conscientise the girl child on the various career paths and options available to her in the technologically-paced world we leave in. Our key values are diversity, versatility, adaptability, integrity and creativity,” said Ngono.
Dr Kesiwe Phuthi, one of the guest speakers emphasised gender equality and removing stereotypes that a certain job is meant for girls or boys only.
“I believe that both genders should have the same opportunities at home, school or at work. People should not have the mentality that science is a boy game, not for girls, hence there should not be jobs meant for men and women. We should not have stereotyped jobs meant for men and women, above all the greatest equaliser is education.
“By gender equally we are not saying women will stop performing their duties as mothers or as wives but we should raise aspirations of girls and their parents as well as give proper value to girls’ works as much as we do to boys work, ”Dr Phuthi said.
Councillor Shadrek Sibanda who gave a speech on behalf of the Mayor of Bulawayo, said people should continue empowering the African girl child so as to level the digital and technological fields which favour boys.
Bongani Ndlovu