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Bridging Gender Gap in Tech by Closing Skill Gap

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By Our Reporter

Since the introduction of the World Wide Web (www) in the early 1990s, Information

Communications Technology (ICT) has been dominated by men worldwide.

Today, ICT is the backbone driving the prosperity of nations and organizations, inspiring a better living for people across the globe.

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However, no development is one-sided if leaves out the participation of all gender. And increased women participation in the Technology ecosystem in this decade can be inspired by Innovation-driven startups and Enrollment for ICT education.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2011 marked the last Thursday of April as a day dedicated to celebrating girls in ICT worldwide. Over 9,000 celebrations attracted 300,000 women participants by 2018, and today we celebrate the Women that have a broad passion for Technology and continue growing while excelling in ICT.

In Uganda, the rate of Women owning Internet-enabled devices like Smartphones and Personal Computers (PCs) has risen by 40% since 2015 as per social media analytics results.

This is attributed to the dropping of prices for devices, the Internet, and to greater extent access to quality digital skilling (ICT education) as well as Innovation competitions and initiatives.

As a Tech company, we attached a great importance to skilling and empowering women in ICT through our various skilling initiatives which include the Huawei Seeds for the future, the Huawei ICT competition, and Huawei ICT Academy as well as offering employment. We take pride in seeing women prosper and flourish in ICT through our several initiatives.

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I would like to bring to your attention a great success and inspirational story of a woman who has grown with our company in a space of one year from just an intern to a team leader and to a manager.

Ms. Cleopatra Ajambo participated in the 2018 Huawei Seeds for the Future program that involves top college students in ICT-related departments for a two weeks study trip in China. Over 3,000 students globally have taken part in this program. It’s through the competition that Cleopatra changed her life from just a Computer Science Student to an IT network architect working with Huawei Uganda.

“As a Computer Science Student, you were expected to dig deep into programming as a major which was not, and is not most girls’ passion, so I found myself relying more on getting good grades than building a career as a problem solver,” says Cleoptra, whose goal for joining the Seeds for the Future competition was to travel to China for exposure.

Amidst stiff competition, Cleopatra qualified for the national round after drafting a project proposal on how ICT can be leveraged to help people with chronic diseases remotely get access to doctors by using their smartphones.

She wrote a proposal addressing people having chronic diseases and through the use of gadgets and networks, their health would be actively monitored remotely by the doctors.

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Cleopatra’s dream to visit China became a reality opening up her doors to a brighter career in the ICT Industry. On return, she was offered an Internship opportunity at Huawei Uganda to further enhance her career. Due to her growing passion for ICT, she progressed through various ranks to her current position as a Maintenance Manager in less than two years.

She joined Huawei as an intern without any network skills but going through a number of training and documentation reading, she moved from being an intern of the survey, to an IP engineer configuring devices such as cameras, switchers, routers, firewall, to a maintenance manager where she coordinated the fiber team, networks team, and the systems team.”

In the light of the Huawei ICT Academy at Makerere University that opened doors for Cleopatra to join the annual skills competition, and enrich her career path, we believe increased ICT education in Uganda has attracted Women to enhance their skills, and win positions that were previously known to be dominated by Men.

“Being in a field mostly dominated by men, what motivates is to always be outstanding. I am very competitive while at work, I am personally interested in computer networking,

Routing and switching, certified in HCIA (Huawei Associate) and currently pursing HCIP

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(Huawei computer internetworking professional),” Cleopatra explains her motivation.

Among the successful women in Uganda leveraging ICT to lead and solve real-life problems in previously men dominated positions include the Minister of ICT and National Guidance Ms.

Judith Nabakooba, the recently appointed UCC Executive Director Ms. Irene Sewakambo Kaggwa, among others.

As Women continue to rise in the ICT Industry, the role of ICT companies and Government support to nurture girls through quality ICT education and skill competitions respectively will bring a fair balance in an industry that was once known to be dominated by men. Happy International Women in ICT Day.

ALSO READ: Huawei releases 5G white paper

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Singer Bruno K Exposed For Neglecting His Son, Claims He Only Has One Child

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The internet has been abuzz following accusations leveled against Bruno Kiggundu, popularly known as Bruno K, over his alleged neglect of his son, Seth Kiggundu. In a tweet, a user identified as Keith alleged that Bruno K had abandoned his only son, Seth, and only pays attention to his daughter, Briella.

Keith claimed that Vanessa, his best friend, had a baby boy with Bruno K, and the singer had refused to fulfill his parental responsibilities towards Seth. He further accused Bruno of making Vanessa’s life difficult in 2022, which caused her to loathe the singer.

While it is essential to respect the baby’s privacy, it is crucial to hold public figures accountable for their actions, especially when they involve the welfare of children. The allegations against Bruno K are serious and should not be taken lightly.

Child abandonment is a severe issue that affects many children worldwide. It is a form of child neglect that can lead to adverse effects on a child’s development, including emotional and behavioral problems. Children who are abandoned by their parents may experience feelings of rejection, anger, and low self-esteem, which can lead to depression and anxiety.

As a public figure, Bruno K has a responsibility to set a good example for his fans and followers, especially young people. Neglecting one’s child is not only morally wrong but also illegal under Ugandan law. The Children’s Act of Uganda provides that every child has the right to parental care and protection, and any parent who neglects their child can be charged with child abuse.

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It is not clear whether the allegations against Bruno K are true, but if they are, he should take responsibility for his actions and do the right thing for his son. Children need both parents to grow up happy and healthy, and neglecting one’s child is unacceptable.

In conclusion, the allegations against Bruno K are serious, and if true, they represent a worrying trend of child neglect in Uganda. As a society, we must hold public figures accountable for their actions and demand that they do the right thing for their children. Let us all strive to create a safe and nurturing environment for all children, regardless of their family background.

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Speaker Rt. Hon. Anita Among Orders Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi To Stop Making Excuses For Not Establishing The Tribunal

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Speaker of parliament Rt. Hon. Anita Among has ordered the Minister of Information, Communications, Technology, and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi to stop making excuses for not establishing the tribunal which she said has been pending for a long.

The speaker’s order followed Dr. Chris Baryomunsi’s attribution of the delay to create the Uganda Communications Tribunal to the recent Cabinet decision on the rationalization of agencies.

The speaker of Parliament Among emphasized the need for the tribunal in place.

“We need a tribunal. How sure are you that we are going to rationalize [government agencies]? We want a tribunal in UCC; we cannot do ad-hoc kind of operations,” Among said.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Act makes provision for the creation of a tribunal that is supposed to handle complaints relating to the decisions of UCC as provided under Sections 60 and 64 of the Act.

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“Work [to create a tribunal] was undertaken by my ministry but we are discussing it in the context of rationalization. The Executive is undertaking the rationalization exercise where agencies and departments are being reviewed and we couldn’t proceed to establish the tribunal. The cabinet cannot allow us to create new agencies,” Baryomunsi said. or enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser.

He said this during the Wednesday, 22 March 20223 plenary sitting where he tabled the Uganda Communications (Fees and Fines) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023.
The regulations provide for fees and fines to be paid by telecommunication and broadcasting companies for spectrum or frequency access in order to improve telecommunication services.

His response was prompted by the Leader of Opposition (LOP), Hon. Mathias Mpuuga who accused the minister of ‘sleeping on the job’ by failing to fulfill the provisions of the UCC Act in regard to the creation of the communications tribunal.

“We have raised severally in our alternative policies the question of the minister failing to appoint the UCC tribunal. The minister is now the tribunal; he is acting as the complainant, prosecutor, and judge at the same time. The Ministry [of ICT] is holding media houses at ransom with no recourse to this tribunal,” Mpuuga said.

The Speaker referred the Regulations to the Committee on ICT and National Guidance for scrutiny with a strong caution to UCC not to start collecting fees until Parliament approves the regulations.
Section 93 of the UCC Act, 2013 states that, ‘the minister may, after consultation with the Commission and with the approval of Parliament, by statutory instrument, make regulations for better carrying into effect the provisions of this Act’.

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Anti-gay Bill Will Impinge Upon Universal Human Rights, Jeopardize Progress In Fight Against HIV/AIDS In Uganda-White House

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The White House and the European Union (EU) have joined the United Nations (UN) and other human rights groups in condemning the just passed Anti-homosexuality Bill.

The Bill that awaits assent from the president was passed by MPs on Tuesday night after a seven-hour heated session.

The bill introduces stricter penalties for people engaged in same-sex activities in Uganda including the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality.

It also proposes life in prison for the offense of “homosexuality” and up to 10 years in jail for attempted homosexuality.

Now White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre says the Bill is one of the most extreme laws targeting homosexuality in the world.

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She warns that this will not only impinge upon universal human rights, jeopardize progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS but will also deter tourism and damage Uganda’s international reputation.

“We have great concerns with the passage of the Anti-homosexuality Act by the parliament of Uganda and increasing violence targeting LGBTQI+ persons,” Karine said.

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