MBABANE – Women must take a leading role in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) if Eswatini is to advance its technological future, the minister for Information, Communications and Technology has said.
The minister, was speaking during a ceremony celebrating young women who have excelled in Science and Technology, where five deserving students were also awarded scholarships to pursue STEM degrees at Botho University.
The scholarships will cover 75 per cent of the students’ tuition fees.
The Minister, Savannah Maziya said the achievements of young women in STEM should encourage others to pursue fields traditionally perceived as being dominated by men.
She congratulated students who achieved first-class results during the National Science Month activities in June, saying their performance demonstrated that young women were capable of excelling in science and technology.
She said it was particularly encouraging to see young women demonstrating their competence in STEM.
“Sometimes they say we as women cannot do science or cannot do technology, but you’re showing a different picture,” the minister said.
She said the achievements of the students would also serve as an example to their peers and demonstrate that young women could succeed in science and technology.
The minister said the students were being rewarded with computer tablets as recognition of their achievements and as tools to support their continued studies.
She also congratulated Tiyandza Ndlovu of St Teresa’s High School following her return from India, where she participated in the Shaktisat space technology programme.
According to the minister, Ndlovu distinguished herself among 108 international students under the age of 18.
The minister said Ndlovu’s achievement demonstrated that young people from Eswatini could compete successfully on an international stage.
She said Ndlovu had not only learnt how to build a CubeSat, but would also serve as a trainer to help other young people acquire similar skills.
The minister encouraged her to share her knowledge with other young women rather than keeping the skills to herself.
She said the responsibility of successful women should extend beyond their own achievements to helping others succeed.
The minister also commended the women working with the young students for supporting and nurturing their development.
She highlighted what she described as the importance of women supporting other women, particularly in fields such as STEM.
“Each one, teach one, each one, raise one,” she said.
The minister said young women should work not only for themselves but also for the country.
She urged them to use their knowledge and achievements to contribute to the development of Eswatini and to help create opportunities for other women.
She said women faced challenges when it came to supporting one another after reaching positions of influence.
The minister challenged the young women to break that pattern by sharing what they had learnt with others.
Whether the skills involved building satellites or other technologies, she said, successful women should use their knowledge to bring others up with them.
The minister said this would help demonstrate the strength of women in Eswatini and ensure that young women received equal opportunities in STEM.
She said she was proud to see women demonstrating that STEM was not a field from which they should shy away.
“We have an equal play in STEM. We shouldn’t shy away from it,” she said.
The minister said women should not regard STEM as something outside their traditional roles.
“It is our lot, and women are going to change this country,” she said.
The minister also expressed appreciation to the partners supporting the development of young people in science and technology.
She said the Indian Government had been supportive through its partnership with Botho University, while Instacash and Computronics had also contributed towards the initiatives.
She said contributions such as the computer tablets might appear small but could make a significant difference to students.
The minister said the tablets would provide important tools for the young women as they continued with their university studies.
She also thanked other partners who had contributed to the success of young people in the country.
The minister said the support provided to the students should help create a generation of young women equipped to participate meaningfully in science and technology.
She urged the scholarship recipients to use their opportunities not only to advance themselves but also to create a pathway for others to follow.
The minister said the continued participation of women in STEM was important in demonstrating that young women could excel in areas such as science, technology and space technology.
She said the achievements being celebrated showed that women had an important role to play in Eswatini’s STEM development.
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