Cell C's annual Take a Girl Child to Work initiative expands and goes digital

Johannesburg (7 March): For the past 17 years, Cell C’s Take a Girl Child to Work Day® initiative has been a resounding success and this year the programme introduces an all-new digital support platform and extends to grade 8 and 9 learners for the first time. 

Take a Girl Child to Work Day is regarded as one of South Africa’s largest collaborative acts of volunteerism having helped more than a million girls.  Aligned with International Women’s Day on 8 March, registration for 2019 is now open, and we call upon corporates, entrepreneurs, NPOs, civil society and government institutions to participate. The value of this programme is to expose and empower girls on their paths of career development. 

This year’s theme #MoreThanADay puts forward the idea that to help motivate and inspire school-going girls, we all should contribute more than just a 24-hour window of our time.  To accomplish this we have introduced the following: 

1. Organisations are encouraged to extend the programme to host girls for three days in the workplace. To make it easy for host organisations Cell C is providing a toolkit and templates on personal development and skills training.
2. CellCgirl is an interactive, digital and social media platform - cellcgirl.co.za – that provides 365 days of inspiration and support. This holistic information portal provides responsive online support directly to girls and focuses on educational, economic and employment resources and links to bursaries and internships. It also acts as a forum for advice, CV-creation and career guidance. The portal is zero-rated for Cell C customers. Both male and female learners will find value in this.
3. An online version of Take a Girl Child to Work will be available on cellcgirl.co.za to accommodate high school learners who are unable to attend the programme at a host organisation. Both male and female learners can register to make use of the programme. 

Previously, the initiative was aimed at girls between Grade 10 and 12 but this year Cell C has expanded the program to include girls in Grade 8 and 9 as well. This is because from Grade 8, learners decide which subjects they will take in Grade 10, which will set them on their respective career paths. 

“Gender equality is key to Cell C’s corporate social investment initiatives and we want to fast-track and create more meaningful experiences for girl learners. We want to help prepare and empower the next generation of women leaders who will help propel the country forward in the digital economy,” says Suzette van der Merwe, Managing Executive for Cell C Corporate Social Investment.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Registration for the 2019 Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work opens on 7 March 2019 via www.cellcgirlchild.co.za. 

Follow the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #GirlChild2019, #MoreThanADay and #CellCgirl. 

Social media links:

• cellcgirlchild.co.za
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CellC.SouthAfrica/
• Twitter: @CellC
• Instagram: @cellcsa

NOTE TO EDITORS

Take a Girl Child to Work Day launched in 2003 as Cell C’s flagship CSI project. It has grown to become one of the nation’s most powerful social movement’s. The campaign has been received with enthusiasm and excitement from all sectors including government, the private sector, media and non-profit organisations.  It continues to encourage debate on the role of socio-economic development and the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment in South Africa. The Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day initiative was recognised in October 2016 as one of the unique interventions that seeks to address a national risk of girls failing to take up the opportunities open to them in the corporate world which has an effect on skills shortage. Cell C received the 2018 Standard Bank Top Women Corporate Citizenship Award in the Top Gender Empowered company category for a second time. The award honours companies who demonstrate the greatest positive impact on quality of life and economic prosperity for South African women and girls.