Association of Women in Media North Encourages Girls to Pursue ICT Careers

Malawi — As a preamble to the International Women's Day celebration on March 8, the Association of Women in Media North, in partnership with Plan Malawi, engaged students at Chimbongondo Community Day Secondary School on Monday, writes Tionge Hara.

The school is located in a hard-to-reach area under the Ekwendeni zone in Mzimba North.

The main objective of the visit was to conduct role modelling sessions to encourage girls to take up ICT careers. Silence Banda, the programs officer for Plan Northern Region, said it was their effort to see girls in these careers.

"We thought of this theme of digital innovation and technology for gender equality so that girls should also have passion," said Banda.

Banda continued by saying that girls should understand that ICT is not only for boys, hence the donation of computers at the school sometime back so that girls can also learn.

Martha Chirambo, chairperson of Women in Media in the Northern region, thanked Plan Malawi for the partnership.

"This means a lot to us as women in the field of a journalism career, we have camerawomen, reporters, and women presenters, which is good," Chirambo said. "We would like to encourage girls to do more in ICT as this year's theme says it all: #Digitalforall#."

"Girls need to understand that there is no career meant for boys only, we are all equal," she added.

The role-modelling session brought a student from Mzuzu University, an ICT officer from Hope Agencies, and a police officer.

Detective Sub-Inspector Roseline Kalumbi, one of the role models, encouraged and advised the students to use phones and computers in good faith to avoid cybercrimes.

The session was a success as it encouraged young girls to consider ICT careers as a viable option, breaking gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality.