Dina Pule, Department of Communication

On International Womens’s Day, minister of communications Dina Pule acknowledged the role ICT has played in improving the lives of women in SA.

She said with the mobile penetration rate exceeding 100%, more women have access to technology than ever before, adding that mobile technology is improving the lives of women in the health sector by providing feedback on ARV use.

In the education field, Pule said ICT has increased access to education through revolutionising teaching methods, making education portable, and facilitating distance learning. ICTs have also enabled women to become safer, she added.

According to the minister, violence against women has reached unacceptable levels in our society and ICTs provide women with an opportunity to protect themselves.

She also pointed out that mobile phones and social networks allow women to quickly get assistance, provide support structures, and share information on crime, as well as their experiences, and to document threats and other wrongful acts.

“Our government has passed the Protection from Harassment Act 11 of 2010, which ensures women are able to take action against those who use electronic communication to harass them. The department of communications is currently establishing a Cyber Security Centre to further protect women, among others, from online predators.”