Cisco has said that it is utilizing the power of Cisco TelePresence technology to deliver impactful networking events designed to help talented young women in Africa boost their future outlook.

“This marks a significant milestone for technology in Africa and is a testimony to the whirlwind of information and communications technology (ICT) developments in the region as well as Cisco's unique capabilities for bandwidth optimization”, the company said.

An inaugural event of Cisco's Africa Women Leadership Network Program kicked off proceedings in April 2012, targeting young talented women at college and universities throughout Africa.

The session, moderated by Ambassador Tebelelo Mazile Seretse of Botswana to the United States, connected 77 women in Cisco offices in Lagos, Johannesburg, Tunis, Nairobi, Cairo,Casablanca and Algiers live to Washington DC. Furthermore, to mark this year's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Girl's in ICT Day, also in April 2012, Cisco facilitated students from Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE, virtually, via TelePresence to meet female leaders from Cisco who shared their backgrounds and experiences and discussed how they had developed their own careers for their respective job roles.

Cisco's Africa Women Leadership Network Program targets young talented women at college and universities, its primary goal being to boost future prospects of talented young women by exposing them to innovative technologies and to inspiring women role models who have positively impacted society. In the program's first session, Her Excellency Ambassador Tebelelo Mazile Seretse shared her background, as well as the decisions she made throughout the different stages of her childhood, adulthood and her professional life. Ambassador Seretse also spoke about how technology has played a role in her day to day life. Cisco plans to run a series of further sessions throughout the 2012 and 2013 calendar.

In 2010, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) members agreed to recognize Girls in ICT Days on the 4th Thursday of every April. To mark Girls in ICT Day 2012 Cisco MENA region offices (Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and UAE) hosted 42 female students from secondary schools and universities who were invited to spend the day at Cisco offices to gain an understanding of the opportunities the ICT sector holds for their future and a deeper insight into professional fields and courses of study that may be overlooked when choosing a career. The MENA offices participated with one agenda over TelePresence where female/male leaders at Cisco shared their backgrounds and experiences, discussing how they developed their careers to reach leadership positions. The girls had the opportunity to test their skills, ask questions, make important contacts and get to know Cisco employees in person. Not only that, they also met other students from different backgrounds and nationalities from different countries in the region.

Cisco TelePresence offers a video experience so intuitive and life-like and natural that it feels as if people were in the same room even when they were many kilometers apart. What started out as a way to save travel costs and optimize employee time at large companies has evolved into a way of accelerating time to market, expanding access to experts, and transforming how companies do business and how education programs can be delivered.

"Mentoring and training programs aimed at young talented females in Africa are going to be vital to help our young workforce of the future to be able to adapt and secure career opportunities in the global 21st century workforce. Africa's growing youth population needs to be equipped with the right skills to help them thrive in this ever changing world”, said Ambassador Tebelelo Mazile Seretse of Botswana to the United States