At a time when technology is reshaping every aspect of modern life, women are being urged not to stand on the sidelines but to actively take their place in the industry.
Speaking at Huawei’s recent ICT-focused engagement for girls, Christina Naidoo, chief operating officer (COO) of Huawei, delivered a candid and hard-hitting message about resilience, representation, and the urgent need to break barriers in a male-dominated field.
Naidoo reflected on her journey, admitting that early in her career she doubted whether she would succeed in what she described as “a man’s world”.
But pushing past those limitations became the key moment.
“If one woman can do it, there is nothing stopping you,” she said. “ICT is not reserved for men; it is for anyone who is willing to learn, push, and grow.”
Now serving at an executive level and sitting on boards, Naidoo highlighted a persistent reality: being the only woman in the room.
“It’s a lonely place,” she admitted. “I’m often the only female in meetings and boardrooms, and occasionally you even have to guide the tone of conversations. But that’s precisely why more women need to be there.”
Her message was clear: representation is not just about numbers; it’s about influence.
Huawei pushes for tangible change
According to Naidoo, the future of technology—spanning artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and 5G—will only reach its full potential if women are actively shaping it.
“The future of tech that truly changes lives only gets better when more women are involved,” she said.
Naidoo also challenged long-standing excuses within the sector, particularly the claim that there are “not enough women” to recruit.
“That’s not true. They are out there. Stop making excuses,” she said firmly. “If you can’t find them, you need to look harder.”
Under her leadership, Huawei has pushed for tangible change through initiatives like its graduate programmes, bursaries and ICT training pipelines.
Since 2017, the company has trained hundreds of graduates, with women making up nearly half, a deliberate and enforced target.
“We made it a performance requirement. If you don’t bring in women, you don’t meet your targets. Simple,” she said.
Beyond recruitment, Naidoo emphasised the importance of exposure and opportunity—especially for young women entering the field.
She shared her own experience of stepping into roles she initially felt unqualified for, choosing instead to learn on the job and build her competence over time.
“I raised my hand even when I didn’t know everything. I said, ‘give me the opportunity; I will learn.’ And that’s how you grow,” she said.
The future of tech is happening now
Her advice to aspiring women in ICT is straightforward: stay curious, build strong technical foundations, and never stop asking questions.
“You belong here, in the labs, in development teams and in boardrooms where decisions are made,” she said. “Stay hungry. Keep learning. And take each other along.”
Naidoo stressed that initiatives like ICT academies and coding programmes are already making an impact, with thousands of young people trained annually, many of them women.
But she believes the real shift happens when women begin to see themselves reflected in the industry.
“When you see yourself in the space, your goals stop feeling impossible,” she said.
Her closing message was less about inspiration and more about action: “The future of tech is not something far away. It’s happening now. The question is, are you stepping up to be part of it?”
- Huawei COO Christina Naidoo urged women to actively participate in the male-dominated tech industry, emphasizing resilience and representation.
- Naidoo highlighted challenges of being often the only woman in meetings, stressing the importance of women’s influence beyond just numbers.
- She dismissed the excuse of "not enough women" in tech, calling for recruiters to proactively seek female talent and setting strict gender targets in Huawei’s graduate programmes.
- Huawei has trained hundreds of graduates since 2017 with nearly half being women, supported by bursaries, ICT training, and performance requirements.
- Naidoo encouraged women to stay curious, build skills, and seize opportunities, stressing that the future of technology is happening now and women must step up to shape it.
At a time when technology is reshaping every aspect of modern life, women are being urged not to stand on the sidelines but to actively take their place in the industry.
Naidoo reflected on her journey, admitting that early in her career she doubted whether she would succeed in what she described as “a man’s world”.
But pushing past those limitations became the key moment.
“If one woman can do it, there is nothing stopping you,” she said. "ICT is not reserved for men; it is for anyone who is willing to learn, push, and grow."
Now serving at an executive level and sitting on boards, Naidoo highlighted a persistent reality: being the only woman in the room.
“It’s a lonely place,” she admitted. “I’m often the only female in meetings and boardrooms, and occasionally you even have to guide the tone of conversations. But that’s precisely why more women need to be there.”
Her message was clear: representation is not just about numbers; it’s about influence.
“
Naidoo also challenged long-standing excuses within the sector, particularly the claim that there are “not enough women” to recruit.
“
Since 2017, the company has trained hundreds of graduates, with women making up nearly half, a deliberate and enforced target.
“We made it a performance requirement. If you don’t bring in women, you don’t meet your targets. Simple,” she said.
“I raised my hand even when I didn’t know everything. I said, ‘give me the opportunity; I will learn.’
Her advice to aspiring women in ICT is straightforward: stay curious, build strong technical foundations, and never stop asking questions.
“You belong here, in the labs, in development teams and in boardrooms where decisions are made,” she said. “Stay hungry. Keep learning.
Naidoo stressed that initiatives like ICT academies and coding programmes are already making an impact, with thousands of young people trained annually, many of them women.
But she believes the real shift happens when women begin to see themselves reflected in the industry.
“When you see yourself in the space, your goals stop feeling impossible,” she said.
Her closing message was less about inspiration and more about action: “
