BUJUMBURA March 13th (ABP) – The Minister of Communication, Information Technologies and the Media, Mrs. Léocadie Ndacayisaba, hosted on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, a press briefing to encourage Burundian women and girls to use new technology to empower themselves and improve their living conditions.
Based on the theme of International Women’s Day chosen in Burundi: “Committed leadership for innovative digitalization in favor of gender equality”, Minister Ndacayisaba indicated that throughout the country, the use of information technologies is a reality, but women still lag behind men in that area. She added that the girls have started attending technical schools and encouraged them to continue in that field.
As for the high cost of the internet connection, Minister Ndacayisaba thus indicated that they have projects at the ministry, which go in the direction of improving the connection and reducing the cost of the internet, in order to promote access to the internet for the entire Burundian population without forgetting Burundian women.
Regarding ICT staff, Mrs. Ndacayisaba said that girls and women who have attended ICTs will be given priority in positions of responsibility or become teachers in schools with ICT departments to show students how they can develop through the use of computers in Burundi.
For the fact that urban women are advanced in the use of ICTs compared to rural women, she pointed out that the ministry has started activities of digital inclusion and the increase in the flow in rural areas, so that the rural population can benefit from the Internet at relatively low cost. She thus underlined that they continue to provide training and sensitization to the rural people and students through ICT clubs established in 17 schools, especially technical schools as well as multi-purpose centers in 8 provinces of the country.
Minister Ndacayisaba further indicated that each year a list to be followed to implement ICT centers and clubs in schools is drawn up. She hopes that little by little in the coming years, an increase in internet users, without forgetting women, will be noticed.