Malawi and China Diplomats Urge Action on Women's Digital and Social Inclusion in Africa

The digital exclusion of women in Africa remains a pressing challenge that threatens to widen inequality across the continent, according to Malawi's High Commissioner to South Africa, Stella Hauya Ndau.

Addressing the Women for Impact: Innovation and Sustainability in Africa (WIISA) conference at the University of Johannesburg, Ndau said women's lack of access to technology is part of a broader web of disadvantages shaped by poverty, gender, geography, and colonial legacies.

She argued that Africa faces a decisive moment: continue on a path of inequality and exclusion, or embrace innovation and equity to achieve lasting transformation. Ndau emphasised that intersectionality is essential to understanding how African women experience challenges. She noted that a girl in rural Malawi cannot separate digital exclusion from poverty or climate change, underscoring the need for solutions that reflect these overlapping realities.

While Africa has the world's youngest population and one of the fastest-growing tech ecosystems, Ndau highlighted that women remain locked out of progress. She pointed to figures showing African women are less likely to own mobile phones and far less likely to use mobile internet than men, warning that innovation which excludes women undermines sustainable development.

Also speaking at the event, Acting Consul General of China in Johannesburg, Zhou Yujiang, stressed the importance of government involvement in advancing women's empowerment. He said women continue to face unequal access to rights and resources, despite representing a driving force of social and economic development.

Zhou noted that women make up more than half of the world's impoverished population and often suffer disproportionately from conflict, epidemics, and violence. He outlined China's initiatives, including targeted programmes like "Water Cellar for Mothers" and "Spring Bud," as well as legislative reforms aimed at protecting women's rights.

He added that the 1995 Beijing Declaration on gender equality remains a milestone, inspiring global reforms and action plans to combat violence and discrimination against women. Zhou confirmed that China will co-host a global leaders' meeting with UN Women later this year to strengthen international cooperation on gender equality and women's empowerment.