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A tour and training to provide a practical example of how women-led trades can integrate innovation and technology in their businesses is set to take place this month.
This will be hosted by the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) as its third Women in Industry Tour.
Bringing women into the technology space results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality.
This is according to the Coordinator – Proudly Zambian Campaign Sopani Muzumara in her write up on “Beyond Diversity: Leveraging Innovation and Technology to Achieve Success as Women in Industry.”
“The tour seeks to provide a practical example of how women-led businesses can integrate innovation and technology in their manufacturing ventures whilst the training will equip women with the necessary foundational skills needed for business growth,” Muzumara said.
She stated that lack of inclusion of women in technology, by contrast, came with massive costs of about US$1 trillion from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of low and middle-income countries, as highlighted in the 2022 United Nations Women’s Gender Snapshot report.
In this regard, Muzumara stressed the need for women-owned and women-led businesses to embrace innovation and technology at every stage of their business.
She emphasised that innovation and technology were providing new opportunities for women in industry to succeed.
“One of the most significant advantages of technology is that it provides women with greater flexibility in the workplace. Remote work and online collaboration tools allow women to work from anywhere and collaborate with colleagues from around the world.
“This is particularly important for women who may have caregiving responsibilities. By leveraging technology, women can overcome various barriers and access new opportunities in industry,” Muzumara said.
She however noted that technology alone was not enough to promote gender equality in industry.
This, she said, required a concerted effort to address bias and discrimination and provide equal opportunities for all.
“The conversation on women’s empowerment should therefore not just be a conversation about increasing diversity in a team or sector.
“Steps should be taken by all stakeholders to ensure that there is real transformative integration. Such steps may include mentorship, training, and networking opportunities to help women succeed,” Muzumara said.
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