Minister Blade Nzimande: G20 Side Event on Women and Girls in Science

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Nomalungelo Gina;
Distinguished delegates from the G20 Countries;
Guest Countries;
International organisations;
Knowledge partners;
Representatives of the partner organisations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Women 20 (W20) and Youth (Y20);
Representatives of our country's premier social science research institution, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC);
Educators;
Our most important guests for today, the Learners;

Ladies and gentlemen:

I am honoured to be addressing you today on this important occasion which forms part of a series of activities that our Department will be hosting for the month of September, as part of our G20 Research and Innovation Working Group programme.

I wish to also commend the organisers of this occasion for their wisdom and foresight in choosing the theme "Closing the gender gap in Science, Technology and Innovation: Accelerating action across G20" for today's occasion on Women and Girls.

Your chosen theme resonates with the spirit of South Africa's overarching G20 theme which is 'Solidarity, Equality and Sustainably'. The complementarity between these two themes also symbolises our shared commitment to inclusion, equity and diversity.

For decades, discriminatory laws and practices have been used to deny women and girls equal access to various development opportunities, including entry into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

This exclusion didn't just impede the development of women and girls, but it also resulted in the skewed development outcomes for various countries. One of the enduring lessons that this teaches us is that, for any national development to be meaningful and sustainable, it must be inclusive.

It is also worth noting that over the last 50 years or so, many countries, including our own, have introduced a number of progressive laws and public institutions that are aimed at addressing the development needs and interests of women and girls.

Even though commendable progress has been made in this respect, it is also true that our world continues to exhibit worrying gender inequities. For instance, women make up less than one-third of the STEM workforce worldwide and only about 33.3% of researchers worldwide are women.

Equally concerning is the underrepresentation of women in high growth areas such as electrician or heavy machinery operator, engineering, and some leadership roles in sectors like finance and technology.

The persistence of these inequities is not just a consequence of the patriarchal institutional cultures of public and private institutions but is also the result of the persistence of the historical intersection of race, class and gender inequity in the structure of various societies.

The DSTI's women and girl's empowerment initiatives

The development of women and girls is one of our country's top priorities. In support of this priority, as the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, we fund and support a number of crosscutting initiatives and programmes that aim to empower women and girls. I wish to mention a few.

The first is the African Girls' Can Code Initiative (AGCCI). This is a transformative programme that is supported by our Department and spearheaded by UN Women and the African Union Commission in partnership with Siemens South Africa and the Departments of the Higher Education and Basic Education.

This initiative incorporates a mentoring component aimed at empowering young girls and women to become future leaders in the tech industry by teaming them with seasoned female professionals in the tech industry.

I am proud to state that, in South Africa, the African Girls' Can Code Initiative has introduced more than 250 young women and girls aged 15 to 23, to the world of coding, with a special focus on artificial intelligence (AI) as a cornerstone of the curriculum.
Furthermore, the coding camps have welcomed learners from rural and peri-urban schools, as well as students from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges from across our country.

I am proud to state that the African Girls' Can Code Initiative, is creating a new wave of digitally skilled young female innovators. This aligns perfectly with one of the pillars of our country's Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation, which is the development of digital skills for the digital economy.

The second initiative is a platform we are hosting which is called the South African Chapter of SADC WISETO (Women in Science, Technology, and Engineering). WISETO-SA serves as an umbrella body, coordinating, monitoring, and reporting on national initiatives, liaising with SADC WISETO, and providing a networking platform for institutions supporting women, youth, and learners in STEM.

The third initiative I wish to highlight is the Women in Innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WISTEM) portal, which is also hosted by our Department. This initiative was identified as a legacy initiative of South Africa's 2020 AU Chairpersonship.

This is a platform that empowers women in ISTEM, addressing historical gender inequalities by fostering collaboration, networking, and the exchange of best practices across emerging, developing, and developed economies.

Implemented in phases, the first phase highlights innovative technologies and services developed by women entrepreneurs across Africa. The portal was developed through a partnership between our Department, the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Scientific Research, and Innovation Council (ASRIC), and our entity, the CSIR.

It serves as a "one-stop shop" database for knowledge sharing, career development, business opportunities, and networking for women in ISTEM, including learners aspiring to STEM careers.

The fourth and final initiative I wish to highlight is our South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA). This as an important initiative that recognises and celebrates the women researchers and scientists pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation for the benefit of everyone.

This prestigious annual event honours the exceptional contributions of women to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI) in South Africa and has been hosted by our Department for the past 19 years.

These awards serve to spotlight the contributions of women in the scientific field and promote them as role models for younger generations, inspiring more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

In addition to these initiatives, working with sister governments departments such as the Departments of Higher Education and Basic Education, we intend to increase the support we offer to women and girls in the form of bursaries, scholarships, internships, mentoring and capacity building and employment opportunities.

Equally important is the need to ensure that young girls are regularly involved in programmes that expose them to positive role models and that they are involved in community development science projects. This is to ensure that they internalise the values of service, community and human solidarity at an early age.

I also think it is important to make the point that, as we develop the girl child, we should make sure that we don't leave our boys behind. The whole point is to build a balanced society.

This approach is in line with a pioneering UNESCO intervention called the Transforming MENtalities Programme, which was launched in 2015. As some of you know, this programme seeks to promote positive redefinitions of norms of masculinity and meaningful engagement of men and boys, alongside women and girls, in the global pursuit for gender equality.

I must also state that I am pleased to note that the thematic discussions for today are actually deliberately aligned towards the imperatives of inclusion, equity and diversity. I am particularly curious to hear your perspectives on the factors that continue to impede the development of women and girls, and how these can be addressed by various countries.

I wish to encourage the learners who are here today to use this opportunity to learn as much as they can from today's proceedings. Everything we are doing here today is for you, and it is my hope that you will be inspired to take up the opportunities to become our next generation of scientists, engineers and researchers.

We also want you to go into emerging careers such as Data Analysts and Scientists, AI and Machine Learning Engineers and Robotics Engineers.

Friends and colleagues, science, technology and innovation hold immense promise for the building of a more humane and just world and to enable this vision, we as policy makers, scientists and researchers have a responsibility to ensure that public and private institutions uphold the values of equity, inclusion and diversity. I wish you a productive session and look forward to the outcome of your deliberations.

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