By Lindani Maseko
The Eswatini National Science Week (ENSW) concluded last week Friday with a sense of optimism and renewed hope for women operating in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
This is because both the Ministry of Information Communication & Technology (ICT) & the Ministry of Education & Training (MoET) have displayed their support towards young innovators in the country.
The ENSW was held concurrently with the launch of the Africa Educates Her Campaign by the MoET, where Minister Owen Nxumalo officially launched the campaign in the country.
The launch took place at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Sports Emporium.
The Minister of ICT, Savannah Maziya when making her remarks on the last day highlighted that the nation was progressing towards the 4th and 5th industrial revolutions, urging young people to embrace their role in this transformation.
“In the future, understanding technology is not just an option; it’s essential,” she said.
The ENSW was driven by the Research Science Technology and Innovations Department under the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology, to foster a vibrant culture of science and innovation across the nation.
Throughout this initiative, young innovators had the opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking solutions in critical fields such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and agritech.
Maziya highlighted a concerning statistic about women’s participation in STEM fields, stating that globally women represent only 70 percent of the workforce.
She also mentioned the commitment of both the Ministry of ICT and MoET to ensure equitable access to opportunities under the theme, “Igniting Curiosity, Inspiring Innovation: Science for Sustainable Economic Growth.”
“In our efforts to train 50 teachers, we made it a priority to ensure that 50 percent of the participants were women,” she stated.
The Minister revealed that they were currently training 108 girls in Space Science, with the aspiration of increasing the number of women Coders in the country to at least 3,000.
“With our 300 000 coders training coming up from April, we want 150 000 of these to be women, and ensure that those from rural and less developed areas have more of an opportunity to participate,” she said.
She further emphasized the importance of introducing various initiatives which include, mentorship programs, free courses in space technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, and more. She clarified that these efforts were not meant to exclude boys, but rather to address the imbalance in opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education & Training Owen Nxumalo applauded the initiative, stating that it is aimed at creating an environment where girls and women have equal opportunities, ensuring fair access to resources and guaranteed equal pay for equal work.
Nxumalo described the launch as a significant milestone for the African Union, highlighting the importance of prioritizing the education of girls and young women to secure their futures.
“It is unfortunate that for too long too many girls have been left behind. To this effect, this campaign seeks to correct this by advocating for policies, interventions, and strategies that protect a girl’s right to education and support learning recovering efforts.”
Furthermore, the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Justice Thwala, emphasized that research had consistently demonstrated the societal benefits of educating women.
“As we look forward toward the future, we must acknowledge the accelerating pace of global advancements and the imperative role of science, technology, and innovation in addressing both local and global challenges,” he said.