Women still lag behind in ICT access

ICT careers that will land you a job – Part I | The Chronicle

Zim Now Writer

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency says that the gender gap in access to Information and Communication Technologies still exists, and this keeps women from realising the full potential of ICTS.

In a statement while celebrating the International Women's Day, ZIMSTAT said this is because women are under-represented in Science and Technology Education Mathematics and the ripple effect is felt in the areas of work where women are also under-represented.

"There is notable gender differentials in the ICT skills that women and men possess. This can be attributed to the training that women receive in school which is not STEM-related," reads the statement.

ZIMSTAT statistics show that over the years, the number of women making use of ICTs has significantly increased including women’s access and use of computers and the internet.

Data from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey showed that less women had ICT skills than men in all the areas that were collected in the survey.

ZIMSTAT statistics further revealed that the skills gap is apparent between rural and urban areas, underscoring the need to improve access in rural areas.

On the side of education and training that women are choosing to pursue, data shows that women are opting for areas of study that are not science related.

ZIMSTAT also said Information collected during the 2022 Population and Housing Census show that women constituted only 22 percent of all persons in the country who studied engineering, manufacturing and construction; and about 32 percent among people who studied ICTs.