Women urged to lead Zimbabwe’s digital future

Takunda Gambiza

Herald Reporter

The Government has called for increased participation of women in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector as Zimbabwe moves to strengthen its digital economy.

ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera made the call while addressing the fourth Women in ICT Zimbabwe Conference, organised by the Computer Society of Zimbabwe in Harare today.

The conference brought together policy makers, technology professionals and young innovators to discuss ways of closing the digital gender gap.

Addressing delegates, Minister Mavetera said women must play a central role in shaping the technologies driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution will not wait for us to catch up. So we must ensure that our women and girls are not just passengers on this journey, but the ones building the engine, charting the map and leading the way,” she said.

The Minister said Zimbabwe’s digital future would be incomplete without the full participation of women in the technology sector.

“Talent has no gender. And in the digital economy, potential is our only currency,” she said.

Minister Mavetera noted that although women make up nearly 47 percent of the global workforce, they account for only about 25 to 28 percent of technology-related roles, with even fewer represented in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cyber security and advanced software engineering.

She said the Government is implementing several initiatives to equip young people, particularly women, with digital skills.

“The initiatives include the Digital Skills Ambassadors Programme currently operating in Magunje and Karoi, where more than 1 500 people are undergoing training,” said Minister Mavetera.

She also highlighted the 1.5 million coders programme, which aims to develop a new generation of software developers and innovators.

“To date, we have already been able to train 180 000 people across Zimbabwe,” she said.

Minister Mavetera added that the Government has also launched cybersecurity training programmes that have already trained about 3 200 people, noting that recent recruitment efforts have seen strong female participation.

“Of the 400 people who enrolled for the cybersecurity training in the past three days, 212 were women, so well done ladies,” she said.

Computer Society of Zimbabwe (CSZ) president Mr Freddy Ndlovu said the conference was designed to promote collaboration and mentorship to accelerate women’s progress in technology.

“With the theme ‘Give to Gain’, we are encouraging a mindset rooted in generosity, collaboration and shared progress to advance women as architects of Zimbabwe’s digital future,” he said.

Mr Ndlovu said increasing the number of women in the technology sector is critical for innovation and inclusive solutions.

“When you have more women in tech, you bring diverse perspectives that boost creativity and help develop solutions that are inclusive,” he said.

Mr Ndlovu added that mentorship programmes, partnerships and increased investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education are key to empowering more women to enter the ICT field.