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Take a girl to work campaign
Drake
and Garcia
March 08, 2012
Each year around
the world, International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March
8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout
March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of
women. Organizations, Governments and women's groups around the
world choose different themes each year that reflect global and
local gender issues. Zimbabwe is no exception each year the Government,
civic organizations and the business world commemorates this day.
Indeed thousands of events are held throughout the country to inspire
women and celebrate their achievements. A web of rich and diverse
local activity connects women from all around the country ranging
from March pasts, business conferences, concerts, road shows and
Government activities.
The past decade
witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's
and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation.
Many from a younger generation may feel that 'all the battles have
been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only
too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With
more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights,
and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive
role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women
have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are
still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women
still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics,
and globally women's education, health and the violence against
them is worse than that of men. However, great improvements have
been made. We do have female astronauts and Prime Ministers, school
girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family,
women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of international
women's day has, for the past few years, moved from being
a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.
Taking a cue from this years' celebrations of the international
women s day world theme - Connect Girls Inspire Women theme
Drake and Garcia is organizing a campaign that will inspire the
Zimbabwean girl child to believe in her capacity to create opportunities
and lead to social change within her family, school, and community
by exposing her to many career options on the market.
The
Campaign
"Empowering
women and girls is essential in the global drive to eliminate poverty,
achieve social justice and stabilize the world's population"
- UN Secretary General
Take a Girl
to Work Campaign is aimed at providing girl children with a real
life platform to deepen their thinking and aspirations about their
roles in society and which careers they want to follow after form
4 or 6. It is set to be Zimbabwe's most public and collaborative
initiative focused on the girl child. The campaign will involve
everyone in Zimbabwe - Government, business, celebrities and ordinary
men, women, girls and boys. In a nutshell on the 22nd of May 2012
the public will be asked to take a girl in Form 4, 5 or 6 to work
so that she can be exposed to different kinds of jobs, on the other
hand companies will be asked to twin with a school in an under privileged
area (e.g. Mbare, Mpopoma, Gokwe, Zvishavane ) and adopt 10 girls
in the above forms for a day.
Based on similar
campaigns in England and South Africa, take a girl to work campaign
will expose girls in Form 4,5 or 6 to the world of work, positive
role models, and an opportunity to make informed career decisions.
It's a day when thousands of young Zimbabwean girl students
will get the opportunity to spend a day 'at work' by
visiting corporate offices, Government departments, factories, hospitals,
hotels, institutions of higher learning, radio stations, construction
sites, and many other businesses across the nation. For many, these
visits to the 'world of work' mark a turning point in
their lives when they will experience first-hand, the modern day
career options available to them. Armed with a world of career options
to consider, girl children will have the opportunity to make informed
career choices that will shape their future and change their world
for the better.
The campaign
will thus play an important role in providing factual understanding
of what specific careers and professions entail. It aims to bring
students into direct contact with various careers. All over Zimbabwe,
business will open its doors to students from a number of schools
who will experience first-hand the hard realities of the workplace.
They will enter into dialogue with employees, many of whom will
remain in contact and in effect become mentors. They are thus, far
more equipped to make informed choices about their future and are
consequently better prepared to face the ups and downs of studying,
training and entering employment.
For adults as
role models and caring citizens, it is our duties to not only educate
our girl children, but to actively guide them to make empowering
choices that will change their lives and lead them to a prosperous
future. We hope to see the whole of Zimbabwe rallying behind the
initiative with even the President taking a girl to cabinet for
the day.
How
it will work
General participation
Individuals
will take their daughters or other girls in Form 4, 5 and 6 to their
place of work. They will either have them shadow them the whole
day or introduce them to many other careers at their work place.
Companies may set up a program for all girls that come in on that
day so that the day is structured and coordinated resulting in the
girls getting exposed to more than one career. The companies/organizations
are encouraged to give the girls packages with information on the
careers they would have exposed them to. After the day the girls
are required to write an essay about their experience which stands
them a chance to win prizes .The best essays will be compiled into
a book that will be distributed nationwide.
Organizations
participation
Take a girl
to work day will have a formal package for participating companies
and organizations. Once registered the companies/organizations will
be paired to a school and be given a maximum of 10 selected girls
to host on the day. The girls will have undergone a day preparation
course and will be equipped with a package comprising of an official
career handbook, stationery etc.
Participating
companies/organizations will structure the day such that the girls
are exposed to various careers in their organization. They will
also be required to produce and give the students pamphlets or documents
with as much information as possible on the careers they expose
them to. Companies will be encouraged to keep in constant touch
with the girls mentoring them and if possible affording them internships
after their Form 4 and 6
Outside the
tours and exposure programs participating organizations will also
be encouraged to organize a tea and question answer session between
the girls and women role models within their organizations.
The program
will also twin some lucky girls from these under privileged schools
with high profile organizations like the President's Office,
UN, ZBC, Embassies etc. Indeed the President and Ministers will
be shadowed by young girls for a day. Imagine a young girl from
Chikofa village being given an opportunity to fly to Johannesburg
and back in the cockpit of a plane observing a woman pilot, what
it will do to the way she looks at life and careers. The idea behind
all this is to expose, connect, inspire and motivate Zimbabwe's
girl children to strive for excellence in academic fields and to
deepen their thinking about the roles they are expected to play
in the country's socio-economic development. All the registration
and twinning will be done from the 8th of March to the end of April
2012.
The campaign
will be launched on the 8th March 2012 International Women's Day
and the event will take place on the 22nd of May 2012.
Contact us for
a presentation
Tafara Mbaya
Projects and Marketing
0777 065 065
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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