Embracing Technological Tools and Skills to Build Women

In celebration of Women’s Month, The Tanzanian Rotaract Club of Kwanza hosted a webinar series in August, highlighting their theme “More than a wife, More than a mother”. The Webinar was organized in association with WomEng, the webinars success involved a number of international individuals who hold positions in the respective branches of STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing). The speakers participated in the webinar to aid women on discovering, educating and embracing the latest technology to help those who may still be categorized and stigmatized as only a wife or a mother.

The webinar touched on topics such as ‘The Meaning of Women in Tech’ and ‘Safe Online Spaces’, the speakers, both male and female discussed how we could strategically equip our colleagues, sisters and mothers in STEM through technology and online spaces in their own careers. New innovative technology was also shared, including the Prestiio application which was specially design for women by women.

My contributions to the webinar as a practicing Civil Engineer and a WomEng #1MillionGirlsInSTEM Ambassador were on how technology can be used to build confidence in young women and girls in the workplace and schools. I was super excited to be given a platform to share my insights based on existing statistical research and what I personally have experienced and have been utilizing to boost my own confidence. I made sure that I invest myself and my resources to present the topic in a manner that would be timeless and memorable even in the nearest future.

Having been retrenched from a construction career path I loved and enjoyed, to working in a digital marketing space where I learned how to better build my brand to which I won the 2022 SANRAL South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) Graduate Engineer of the Year award, I can proudly say that technology has been and can be your best career and confidence boost, especially for us women in STEM.

Judging from the feedback I obtained from my friends and colleagues, I believe that the webinar was informative, so much so that I was asked to share my presentation and requested to share further information post the session. I believe the message was well received and personalized enough for every stigmatized wife or mother, young or old, to feel encouraged to tackle their next career path using the latest technology available to them or even be the innovators of the tech themselves..

In light of this successful webinar by the Rotaract Club of Kwanza, I encourage all women to at the very least be open minded and continue to equip themselves as best they can using all available resources to them.

The world is your infinite oyster supply, ladies.