Research carried out by the University of Zimbabwe identified entrenched gender inequalities in the country’s higher learning institution. The research found that despite an outwardly equal access to resources and student forums at the university, there was a ‘socialised’ inequality amongst students that had so far continued unchallenged. Student practices were observed that still honoured traditional gender biases; some examples include the following findings:

• Male students often safeguarded privileged positions in student societies e.g. no women had occupied any of the leading posts on the Student Representative Council in the University of Zimbabwe for over 15 years.
• Female students struggled to gain access to facilities such as the cafeterias, sports facilities and the library on an equal footing with male students.
• The percentage of male to female students using the university’s ICT labs was 87% male to 13% female (despite an almost equal enrolment of 51% women in comparison to 49% men).
• Unlike men, young women enrolled at the university did not feel that they could visit computer labs late at night due to cultural expectations and related stigma, restricting their access to ICT even more.
• Female students at the University of Zimbabwe saw ICT access as a new and rare ‘privilege’ for women, that was mostly the preserve of the male students on campus.

Computer Aid and the University of Zimbabwe pioneered the country’s first women-only university ICT lab to be used solely by female students and counteract the gender inequity seen in facilities and ICT use so far. The response from female students after one year of use has been overwhelmingly positive which is why we will be increasing the capacity of the lab from 50 to 150 computers.

Users report an increase in confidence when approaching ICT for the first time. When trying to acquaint themselves with new online tools, they no longer feel embarrassed or like they have to catch up with male students who traditionally have greater access at a younger age. Female students can now use ICT for research and can equip themselves with 21st-century skills that will put them on an equal footing with male peers when pursuing careers.

On a deeper level, encouraging female ICT use at this critical point in education has sparked a change and challenges the view that ICT is the preserve of male students in Zimbabwe’s higher education system.

Dieses Projekt trägt zu Folgendem bei Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung (SDGs):

	Unsere Arbeit leistet einen direkten Beitrag zu Zielvorgabe 4.1 von SDG 4durch die Verbesserung der schulischen Leistungen von Jungen und Mädchen in der Sekundarstufe. Darüber hinaus erwerben die Schüler relevante technische Fähigkeiten, die ihre Berufsaussichten verbessern und dazu beitragen Zielvorgabe 4.4.
	Dieses Projekt leistet einen direkten Beitrag zu Zielvorgabe 5.B von SDG 5Wir wählen Schulen aus, die ein ähnliches Verhältnis von Mädchen und Jungen haben, und fördern aktiv die Nutzung der Geräte durch beide Geschlechter, um sicherzustellen, dass niemand ausgeschlossen wird.
	Durch die Ausstattung von 10 Sekundarschulen mit Computerräumen und unterstützenden Technologien wie Projektoren, die Tausenden von Schülern den Zugang zur Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie ermöglichen, leisten wir einen direkten Beitrag zu Zielvorgabe 9.C von SDG 9.
	Die in den Projekten verwendete IKT-Ausrüstung wird größtenteils von Unternehmen gespendet; die Geräte werden vor der Weitergabe an die Projekte von Daten befreit und überholt. Daher leistet dieses Projekt einen direkten Beitrag zu Zielvorgabe 12,5 von SDG 12durch die Verringerung des Elektroschrotts und die Wiederverwendung von Technologien.

Finanziert durch