First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, Madame Monica Chakwera has said as a country, we are still lagging behind in terms of women and young girls taking an interest in cybersecurity and digitalization-related careers. The first lady made these remarks when she presided over the official opening of the Women and Girls in Cyber-Africa conference in Lilongwe.
She emphasized that to address such challenges, Malawi, like all other nations across the globe, must ensure that women and girls are protected in every aspect, including in cyberspace.
“Our goal, as articulated in our National Cybersecurity Strategy, is to ensure we provide a secure, trusted, resilient, and safe cyberspace that promotes a knowledge-based society and socio-economic development,” she said.
The First Lady also highlighted that the government is working hard to level the playing field, citing the adoption of the National Gender Policy and Gender Equality Act as indicators of the government’s commitment to ensure women and girls are actively involved in traditionally male-dominated spheres.
Minister of Information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu, said that the platform will create space for women to take up leadership roles in cybersecurity, ICT, and digital technology, as well as encourage women to be the change they want to see, embrace the digital space, and harness it to their advantage.
The conference has featured renowned speakers, partners, and an esteemed group of special guests.
