Meet Rumaanah Khan: Inspiring women to pursue STEM careers

International Girls in ICT Day – a commemorative day created to bridge the gender digital divide – is was observed globally on 27 April 2023

It’s only fitting that we introduce you to Rumaanah Khan, a 22-year-old woman who is paving the way for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries.

International Girls in ICT Day 2023

On the occasion of International Girls in ICT Day on 27 April, the world is celebrating young women who are building ICT careers for themselves, and Khan is one of them.

Khan does this despite facing major challenges.

Meet Rumaanah Khan

She lives with fibromyalgia, which causes musculoskeletal pain, accompanied by extreme fatigue and disrupted sleep and mood patterns.

Despite this, Khan strives for excellence and inspires others as well.

Khan earned herself a place on Huawei’s skills development learnership program for people with disabilities after trying her hand at a few different industries.

Upon completing the course, she worked as an IT consultant at WITS University.

This kind of advancement is a powerful reflection of the theme for this year’s International Girls in ICT Day, which is “Digital Skills for Life.”

Skills development

Huawei’s program has been running successfully for six years and upskills young talented people with a passion for the technology sector, opening doors to opportunities to which they would not otherwise be exposed.

Thomzama Matlhapa, Huawei’s Skills Development Facilitator, said, “This learnership program identifies young talented people with a passion for the technology sector.

“The program upskills them and opens doors to opportunities to which they would not otherwise be exposed. We are proud of Rumaanah and how she used this opportunity to go much further.”

Gender gap in SA tech

There is a massive gender gap in technology in South Africa, and Khan hopes to fill it.

She sees herself as an IT professional in the cyber environment and eventually wants to lead with confidence towards a common goal of making technology safe for everyone.

Khan believes the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a massive growth opportunity for herself, South Africa, and the African continent.

Digital tranformation

She is hopeful that digital transformation will offer organisations the opportunity to create value, not only through technological advancement but by enabling women, including disabled women, to take a leading role in shaping a more inclusive future.

International Girls in ICT Day seeks to bridge the gender digital divide, and observe the achievements of women in ICT and STEM careers to date.

It also seeks to encourage more young women to become passionate about technology and all it has to offer.