MINISTER SAVANNAH: USE ME AS RESOURCE FOR FIRST WORLD VISION

EZULWINI – The Minister of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), Savannah Maziya, has invited women to use her as a useful resource to realise their First World visions.

The minister said it was unfortunate that her capabilities were taken advantage of by other countries instead of her homeland. Maziya was speaking during the Women in Science forum that was held yesterday at the Royal Villas. The event was organised by the Ministry of ICT, in partnership with the Kingdom of Eswatini Academy of Sciences (KEAS) and was themed ‘Women’s role in driving transformation to a knowledgeable economy’. The forum aimed at ensuring gender equality and women empowerment, particularly in ICTM Science and innovation.

Statistics

The minister noted that statistics indicated that girls were outperforming boys at lower grades ‘but when the education and career ladder gets higher, women are missing in action’.
Maziya explained that the reason women were no longer seen in the field of Science and Technology as well as leadership, was because along the lines of education, ‘the currency of beauty kicks in’ to determine women’s abilities. “As women and young ladies, we buy to this currency of beauty and then we start fighting each other and you find no woman supporting another. It is not of our construct, but has been made a norm,” she said. She noted that by the time women get to the workplace, they settle for less. She noted that even those who made it, struggled to get support.

Instead, there is usually constant bagging on their failures rather than successes. She said such a mentality was the reason several countries were struggling to reach the full potential they could harness from women. Maziya said countries that were making it in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) had brought their women along.  “When you are a country, you have to use all the resources to succeed. You cannot rely on one letter on your back and expect to succeed, when you are smart you use all your resources; you nourish all your resources, and you encourage all your resources to be able to reach prime time,” she said.

Politics

She highlighted that her being in politics was a resource that could be harnessed by the country in the field of Science and Technology. “I am at the top of the mountain, I have seen the Promised Land and you are not using the one person you can use as a resource. Use me and all other women as a resource, use all that energy you have to destroy, to nourish, to build, because this country deserves so much better,” she said. The minister said the country and women, in particular, could be so much better, but the energy used to bully each other and to be comfortable at the bottom was the reason people looked down upon each other. “You cannot blame anybody when we are at the bottom and have nothing. Use the resources to understand the blessing on your yard; I have everything I need; I have worked for this life and have worked for this prime time and did not fall into it. The world appreciates me more than you do; the world uses me more than you do. I am a resource, and I promise you, if we work together in this country, we can achieve greatness. Stay out of our way and we can achieve more, support us and this country will have First World status,” she said.

She said it was time to stop creating a community of oppression for women, because the future needs women to take the STEM field. The minister said she had the honour to understand how crucial it was to be at the forefront of STEM implementation and execution. “As I sit in the department that I sit in, I understand the humour that God has, because I always said I did not want to be in politics. Look at me now; I am thrown in the deep end. We are all equal in God’s eyes and so if we say that, we cannot then turn around and say ‘because I am a woman, I am lesser than you’. “This time I want to say to the ladies let us plan our future. Let us encourage the girl child, and ensure that we are clear about the way things are done. I am saying this because I do not think we are planning properly. Your job in the STEM organisation is to ensure that women in STEM are going to be the future, we promote and support in the next term I am here,” she said.

Succeeding

She noted, however, that there was a culture of celebrating failure in society, instead of learning from those who are succeeding. The minister said practice had shown how people, women in particular, were comfortable being at the bottom. “When something good comes on you, your concerted effort is to destroy it,” she said. During the forum, it was shared that only 35 per cent of women were pursuing STEM studies, while only 34 were occupying the workplace. Speakers, including SADC representative Rea Morakabi emphasised increased investments in STEM, including research. He mentioned that ‘a country cannot compete if its research is not developed’.

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