March 07, 2018

Who runs the world? African girls in tech

located:	Kenya
editor:	Bob Koigi

In less than a decade, Africa’s ICT sector has experienced an unprecedented boom that has caught the world’s attention. Young people have been at the driving seat of this renaissance, transforming every facet of the continent’s economy, while living true to the maxim ‘finding homegrown solutions to local problems'.
From e-commerce to telemedicine and an array of life changing innovations, it has been an impressive and exciting journey; one that global icons such as Bill Gates have described as 'trailblazing' and 'transformative'.

Women and girls have risen particularly strongly in this space, while surmounting numerous odds to compete with their male peers. From Kenya’s Jamila Abbas, a software engineer who has come up with an easily accessible mobile platform that points farmers to timely market and weather reports, reaching tens of thousands of food producers, to Rachel Sibande, the founder of Mhub in Malawi, a technology hub that is giving young entrepreneurs and innovators training with a view to champion the development of local and sustainable technology solutions.

But even with the remarkable gains in having women in ICT, there is still a long journey ahead in integrating tech into the lives and habits of many. Millions of women who continue trailing their male counterparts in acquiring key digital skills, are predominantly offline or face hostile online environments.

Studies indicate that women in urban poor areas are up to 50 percent less likely to have access to the internet. To attract them into the ICT bandwagon, through provision of infrastructure and gender friendly tech policies is a major step in getting a majority of developing countries to the next level. Women have traditionally proven they can deliver in other sectors. It is time to give them the chance and space in tech.

Photo: GIRLS INVENT TOMORROW