At the Huawei Innovation Centre in Johannesburg, the 2025 International Girls in ICT Day amplified the voices of the women already reshaping the field.
Hosted in collaboration with the UN Women’s African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the event gathered top-performing students, policy influencers, and Huawei executives.
Huawei’s Day of Girls in ICT 2025
From seasoned diplomats to rising graduates, the keynote speakers at Huawei’s International Girls in ICT Day brought a powerful mix of experience, insight, and urgency.
Each woman brought her own perspective: from policy and leadership to mentorship and lived experience, reminding the audience that shaping the future of tech requires every kind of voice.
They explored how to meaningfully move the needle on gender equity in tech.
What happens when we exclude women?
During the Q&A, I raised a concern that’s been on my mind for a while now, and it’s even more urgent in the age of artificial intelligence. AI (and similar tools) shaping our future are still being designed by a very narrow group of people.
“We’ve seen what happens when everything else in the world is built this way, what happens when women’s input is left out, from seatbelts that don’t protect women’s bodies to medical misdiagnoses.”
I posed the question to the panel: How do we bridge this systemic gap and ensure the future of digital infrastructure reflects everyone?
The responses differed, but the message was unified: real change will require inclusive policy, intentional partnerships, and the relentless voices of women who refuse to be left out of the room (or the code).
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Representation over perfection
The keynote was delivered by Minister Counsellor to the ITU, Cynthia Lesufi. She set the tone early on, with a reflection on her two-decade career:
“When I first stepped into the world of telecommunication policy over two decades ago, I was often the only woman in the room”, she said.
“But I’ve learned that belonging in the ICT industry isn’t about fitting in, rather it’s about showing up, standing tall and shaping the rules.”
Lesufi says it is because of this that she’s “dedicated [her] career to opening doors for other young women like [herself].”
She reminded attendees that representation isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the framework on which the future is built. As one standout quote from the day put it: “You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Beyond skills: Building equity in tech
While the AGCCI programme has introduced more than 100 girls in South Africa alone to coding, design thinking, and digital problem solving, speakers also emphasised that technical skills were only one piece of the puzzle.
“The digital gender divide is not an occurrence of nature. Humans created it, and we can fix it,” said Siya Leshabane, programme associate at UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office.
She added that AGCCI incorporates not only hard skills but mentorship, professional development, and entrepreneurial training. These initiatives give young women tools to code, sure, but also to thrive in real-world contexts.
Chief operating officer at Huawei, Christina Naidoo, echoed the call for deeper transformation.
“It’s about having the courage to step into spaces where women are underrepresented, and the vision to reshape them,” she said.
“Opportunity alone isn’t enough. It must be met with preparation, passion, and persistence.”
Naidoo also shared how Huawei’s Graduate Programme has empowered over 318 South African graduates since 2017, half of whom are women.
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Not the future… The present
Students from the AGCCI programme and Huawei Graduate Programme also contributed to the event.
From personal testimonies to their hopes for the future, their presence turned the event from a mere showcase into a space of belonging.
“Before I got into the program, I had very limited knowledge about IT,” said Victoria Phago.
“I developed skills such as design thinking and learned how we can actually use technology as a tool to help our communities.”
Lauretta Morudi, an 18-year-old engineering student, encouraged others to follow her lead: “Remember, every innovation starts with a bold idea. Your unique perspective can drive transformation.”
Nosipho Zwane, a recent graduate now working as a project manager at Huawei, added: “Take charge. When you enter a space, know that you belong there.”
In her closing remarks, Lesufi reminded the young women in the room that they are not future leaders. They are “present disruptors.” They are not “future technologists”. They are “current innovators in the making.”
“Let your voice echo beyond this room… Africa’s digital destiny is incomplete without you.”
Photography by Jess, a women-owned business proudly acknowledged during the event.
