Working in technology can, at times, be an isolating experience for women, especially in Africa. The impact of this can limit women’s professional growth in the sector. Women need mentors, role-models and a network to share their experiences, challenges and skills.

Some Women in Technology clubs exist already, but to date, no-one has attempted to build a pan-African network, allowing us to compare our challenges, learn from other countries and connect across borders to expand our influence.

Women in Tech Africa routinely runs event across Africa including:
• First Pan African Women in Tech virtual conference
• Quarterly meetings in Ghana showcasing successful women in tech in that country including head of Google, head of Microsoft Africa
• Joint Women and Tech and USAID Program on the subject of women and technology, the future of Africa
• Women in Technology sessions in Lagos Nigeria at Africa biggest social media event , social media Lagos
• Training for Women Entrepreneurs on the use on technology for business growth

Join Us and become part of the largest group of Women in the Technology sector of African descent

Women in Tech Africa held the maiden edition of the Women in Tech Africa Awards over the weekend, to acknowledge amazing women who have accomplished tremendous achievements in the technology space. 

At the hybrid virtual event livestreamed from Accra Ghana, Special Guest for the ceremony, Minister of State for ICT and TVET, Rwanda Claudette Irere commended all the nominees for their phenomenal resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking on the theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology: Maximizing The Benefits of a Post Pandemic Tech Boom,” she admitted how women have been  more likely to bear the brunt of childcare issues and feel pressure to be more productive despite being in hard times. She also addressed how tech companies have played a pivotal role during the pandemic and how it is important for women to take full advantage of the benefits of the “post pandemic tech boom.” She ended by congratulating all the nominees and urged them to do more to mentor young girls into STEM fields.

The awards ceremony made up of 11 categories, spanned the various regions of the African continent. Winners for each category were determined by a panel of seasoned judges, namely, Rebecca Enonchong- Founder and CEO AppsTech / Board Chair Afrilabs, Estelle Akofio- Sowah- West Africa Regional Manager, CSquared, Onica N. Makwakwa- Head of Africa Region, Alliance for Affordable Internet. It also included Fatuma Muzungu- Advisor, Strategy and Innovation, FinDev Canada, Sameera Chattun Koyratty- Managing Director, Safe Sha Training Centre/ WiTA Mauritius Chapter Lead and Precious Mdlalose- Post Investments and Value Creation Manager, IDF.

About the Awards

The awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”

Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.

SEE FULL LIST OF WINNERS BELOW:

CIO/CTO OF THE YEAR AWARD- Titilope Fakuade, CIO MTN Liberia

CORPORATE WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD- Kari Tukur, Vice President MasterCard Sub Saharan Africa

MOST IMPACTFUL WOMEN IN TECH EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE AWARD- ShEquity

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, WEST AFRICA- Kemi Okusanya, General manager, Visa West Africa

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH DIASPORA- Brenda Zikonda, Cyber Security Consultant | Project Manager, Deloitte España

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, NORTH AFRICA- Amal Amin Ibrahim Shendi , Professor National Research Centre, Egypt

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH SOUTH AFRICA- Yolanda Cuba, Group Regional Vice President Southern And East Africa At MTN Group

TECH ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR- Eva Sow Ebion- Director #I4Policy

TECH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR- Temie Giwa – Tubosun- Founder, Lifebank Nigeria

WOMAN IN TECH STARTUP OF THE YEAR- Ama Dadson, Founder Akoobooks

WOMAN IN TECH TO WATCH- Vera Baker, Venture Capital Investor, Jua Fund

Nominations for the Women in Tech Africa Awards 2021 have been announced. There are 30 nominees across 11 categories with nominations spanning the African continent, as well as the diaspora. The full list of nominees follows this release.

We received more than 150 heartwarming and impressive nominations, leaving the task of shortlisting and the determination of winners to our judging panel of seasoned professionals in the field.

This year’s judging panel includes:

Rebecca Enonchong - Founder and CEO AppsTech / Board Chair Afrilabs

Estelle Akofio- Sowah- West Africa Regional Manager, CSquared

Onica N. Makwakwa- Head of Africa Region, Alliance for Affordable Internet

Fatuma Muzungu- Advisor, Strategy and Innovation, FinDev Canada

Sameera Chattun Koyratty- Managing Director, Safe Sha Training Centre/ WiTA Mauritius Chapter Lead

Precious Mdlalose- Post Investments and Value Creation Manager, IDF

We wish to congratulate all the nominees! We are especially proud to recognize and honour these amazing women doing exceptionally well in their respective fields. Winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on 31 July 21, 2021 in Accra, Ghana.

About the Awards

In partnership with FindevCanada, the awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”

Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.

NOMINEES

CIO/CTO OF THE YEAR AWARD

• Titilope Fakuade,  CIO MTN Liberia  
• May Govender, CIO for Card and Payments at Standard Bank South Africa
• Itumeleng Makgati, Group Executive, Information Security   Standard Bank Group

CORPORATE WOMAN IN TECH AWARD

• Kari Tukur- Vice President, Mastercard, Sub Saharan Africa
• Yolanda Cuba – Group Regional Vice President Southern and East Africa at MTN Group

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, WEST AFRICA

• Kemi Okusanya- General Manager, Visa West Africa
• Gillian Darko- General Manager at Jumo World
• Leona Lillian Abban – Country Manager at Microensure

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH DIASPORA 

• Brenda Zikonda, Cyber Security Consultant | Project Manager, Deloitte España
• Vera Baker, Venture Capital Investor- Jua Fund

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, NORTH AFRICA

• Amal Amin Ibrahim Shendi , Professor National Research Centre, Egypt
• Lamia Chaari Fourati, Digital Research Center of SFAX

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH SOUTH AFRICA

• Dr. Adriana Marais- Founder, #ProudlyHuman        
• Aisha R. Pandor- Co-Founder at SweepSouth.com
• Yolanda Cuba – Group Regional Vice President Southern and East Africa at MTN Group

TECH ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

• Edna Karijo, Emobilis Mobile Technology Institute                           
• Eva Sow Ebion- Director #i4policy

TECH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

• Charity Chitalu Mwanza, CEO Digital PayGo
• Temie Giwa – Tubosun- Founder, Lifebank Nigeria

WOMAN IN TECH STARTUP OF THE YEAR

• Adelaide Akinyi Odhiambo, Bluewave Insurance Agency    
• Ama Dadson, Akoobooks      
• Winifred Kotin, Superfluid Labs         

WOMAN IN TECH TO WATCH AWARD

• Lebo Martins, Senior Project Manager iot.nxt & CEO of MiPELO
• Mapule Malau, Founder Ladycode
• Penina Kimani- CDO Longhorn Publishers
• Vera Baker, Venture Capital Investor- Jua Fund

MOST IMPACTFUL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE AWARD

• ShEquity
• The Standard Chartered Women in Tech Incubator

WOMEN IN TECH AFRICA AWARDS 2021 ANNOUNCED

Taking their core mandate of technology leadership entrepreneurship expansion and multiplying the numbers of girls and women  in technology, especially in Africa a step further, Women in Tech Africa has announced the maiden edition of the Women in Tech Africa Awards.

Slated for 31^st July 2021, the awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”

Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.

The awards have three main objectives:

•           Celebrating women in STEM in AFRICA for their accomplishments as leaders in the tech sector, business, visionaries, and women who make a difference in their communities.

•           The awards will also recognize outstanding projects and initiatives across Africa that are helping build a brighter digital future for girls and women.

•           Bringing together women in technology across Africa for a night of networking

NOMINATIONS OPENED

Nominate deserving candidates today! Or Nominate Yourself , Chances are you know someone that you believe deserves an award for the work they are doing, the projects or programs they are leading, or the support they are giving in their community.

Maybe it is you. Do you have a career, project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of? Then nominate yourself! These awards ae for real people and real projects like yours.

Click here https://forms.gle/ApnGB9yyKkyc3Zw76 and fill the nomination form. A panel of seasoned judges has been constituted to shortlist successful nominees. Nominees will be announced subsequently.

Deadline for nominations is 28^th May 2021.

The Women in Tech Africa Awards will bring together exceptional women from across the world, provide an opportunity for stakeholders to network and reinforce relationships while giving them the well-deserved recognition.

Taking their core mandate of entrepreneurship expansion and multiplying the numbers of females in technology, especially in Africa a step further, Women in Tech Africa has announced the maiden edition of the Women in Tech Africa Awards.

Slated for 31^st July 2021, the awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”

Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.

The awards have three main objectives:

•           Celebrating women in STEM in AFRICA for their accomplishments as leaders in the tech sector, business, visionaries, and women who make a difference in their communities.

•           The awards will also recognize outstanding projects and initiatives across Africa that are helping build a brighter digital future for girls and women.

•           Bringing together women in technology across Africa for a night of networking

NOMINATIONS OPENED

Nominate deserving candidates today! Chances are you know someone that you believe deserves an award for the work they are doing, the projects or programs they are leading, or the support they are giving in their community.

Maybe it is you. Do you have a career, project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of? Then nominate yourself! These awards ae for real people and real projects like yours.

Click here https://forms.gle/ApnGB9yyKkyc3Zw76 and fill the nomination form. A panel of seasoned judges has been constituted to shortlist successful nominees. Nominees will be announced subsequently.

Deadline for nominations is 28^th May 2021.

The Women in Tech Africa Awards will bring together exceptional women from across the world, provide an opportunity for stakeholders to network and reinforce relationships while giving them the well-deserved recognition.

THEME: Celebrating the resilient African woman in tech

Hosted  by: Women in Tech Africa

The Women in Tech Africa Awards seek to recognize outstanding women in technology leadership positions and their ability to drive change in their organizations even through the difficult times that the pandemic brought upon us, especially in the sub region.

We aim to: Celebrate Women in Tech in AFRICA for their accomplishments as leaders in the tech sector, business, visionaries, and women who make a difference in their communities.

The awards will also recognize outstanding projects and initiatives across Africa that are helping build a brighter digital future for girls and women. Bring together women in technology across Africa for a night of networking.

INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES

CIO/ CTO of the Year Tech Entrepreneur of the Year

Woman in Tech To Watch ( Rising Star)

Women in Tech advocate of the year(Male Leader)

Outstanding Woman in Tech Award

-East Africa

-West Africa

-South Africa

-North Africa

Lifetime Achievement Award

ORGANISATIONAL CATEGORIES

Diversity and Inclusion Initiative Award

Diversity Employer of the Year: Enterprise

oWoman in Tech Start-up Award

Best Corporate Champion  of African Women in Tech

Employer of the Year (Women in Tech)    

The Nomination Page will be Open in March 2021

Talk to us about  becoming a global sponsor

partnerships@womenintechafrica.com

PRESS RELEASE

Africa’s Largest Women in Tech Digital Festival happens again in 2019 across 6 countries. This year, more women are expected to take part in the Women in Tech Week 2019, under the theme; Scaling Technology in Africa.

Book Tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/o/women-in-tech-africa-26259896485

Website www.womenintechweek.com

Women in Tech Africa Website www.womenintechafrica.com

In 2018 Thousands of women from Africa and the Diaspora came together in different locations across the African continent to celebrate Women in Tech Week in 2018. They were engaged on issues of technology, and explored different ways women can grow as technology leaders. The events will feature topics such as, using technology to improve agriculture, the success stories, Leadership in Tech, Innovation & Technology for the Next Decade: A look at Inclusivity and a chance to engage with industry leaders.

Women in Tech Africa is currently the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.

Women in Tech Week is attended by top ranking individuals across Africa, specifically: C-Level executives, female tech entrepreneurs and women aspiring for stem careers.  The one-week celebration will be a great opportunity for women in technology spaces in Africa to come together to network, share and empower each other to improve and push forward Africa’s technology growth agenda. Each day of the week will delve into the different aspects of growth for leadership and technology.

The Women in Tech Week Festival will be held from 9th – 25^th October 2019, consecutively across the continent. More than 20,000 participants from across Africa and the diaspora are expected to be part of the event. It will bring together renowned speakers such as, Nancy Matimu, VP, Head Market Development Sub Saharan Africa- MasterCard and Vere Shaba, Forbes Africa 30 under 30. There will also be seasoned professionals from the Technological space, Entrepreneurs, Government officials, Members of the Diplomatic corps and Non-Governmental Agencies in attendance.

This year’s Women in Tech Week is supported by Findev Canada and the German Development Corporation (GIZ), as headline sponsors.

We run training programs to team female entrepreneurs on how to use technology to grow their business We train in Design Thinking Content Management Technology Choices

Women in Tech Africa are excited to announce that 2019 has started on a ‘winning’ note.
Women in Tech Africa has been nominated for the WSIS Prizes 2019 –the category (Action Line) C6.

We encourage you to show your support for the vision by voting for WOMEN IN TECH AFRICA in the category (Action Line) C6

PLEASE VOTE FOR US TO WIN OUR CATEGORY! .

Deadline for votes is 10th of February and is open to the public so everyone can vote.

How to vote?
1.            Go to the link: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/stocktaking/Prizes/2019/Vote
2.            Register as a new user
3.            Log in to your account
4.            Go to the “Voting Form”
5.            Vote in each of 18 category (only then your vote is valid!), THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO PROGRESS TO THE NEXT CATEGORY
Here is a video on how to vote: https://www.facebook.com/WSISprocess/videos/549942075416012/

We appreciate your time and effort for making this a great win.

About WSIS
he World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-phase United Nations-sponsored summit on information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society

WSIS Prizes is a unique international contest developed in response to requests from the WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism to evaluate and recognize individuals, governments, civil society, local, regional and international agencies, research institutions and private-sector companies for outstanding success in implementing development oriented strategies that leverage the power of ICTs as an enabler of the development. The WSIS Prizes contest is an integral part of the WSIS stocktaking process; set up in 2004 to assist WSIS implementation and follow-up. The contest was held for the first time in 2012, and rapidly gained attention and popularity within the ICT for Development (ICT4D) community.

Building upon the outcomes of the United Nations General Assembly Overall Review on WSIS as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the WSIS Prizes 2016 reflect close linkages with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The WSIS Prizes contest serves as the platform for identifying and showcasing the success stories across the WSIS Action Lines defined in the Geneva Plan of Action and SDGs. It also provides us with models that can be replicated in the interests of empowering the community at the local level, providing everyone with an opportunity to participate in the contest and, most importantly, recognizing the efforts made by stakeholders to contribute to the development of society and their commitment to achievement of both the WSIS goals and SDGs.

The first day of Women in Tech Week was exciting . Some highlights from Ghana(Kumasi), Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Germany and Mauritius Kenya We were honoured to have a tweet chat with Salome Gathoni on Digital Africa and the way forward for Africa. She shared insightful tips on areas governments are to focus on to get Africa where it ought to be in terms of technology. Salome also shared tips on how to cope as a female in a male-dominated field such as technology. Check our twitter page for the full conversation. Mauritius, Zambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Nigeria saw the launch of Women in Tech Week 2018 as they celebrated Digital Africa Day. In our #Uganda #womenintechweek . our Speaker Astrid Haas spoke on Economics of Mobile Money . But more importantly like a boss she had a baby on her hip and technical knowledge on her lips . We salute her #womenintech #leadership #technology #motherhood

Women in Tech Week officially commences today, the 18th of September to 22nd September 2018, running in 16 countries with over 50 events and a great selection of speakers. Day 1 , Tuesday 18th September - Digital Day Zambia 18/09/2018 9:00 am - 1:45 pmDigital Africa Day- Zambia, View Event Venue , Zambia,University of Zambia- Library Basement, Lusaka ZambiaNigeria Nigeria 18/09/2018 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Port Harcourt, View Event  ,Venue Nigeria,Tiva Creatives Office, Port Harcourt RiversSierra Leone Sierra Leone 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Digital Africa Day- Sierra Leone, View Event  , Venue: Sierra Leone,10:00AM, Freetown Sierra Leone Kenya 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Digital Africa Day -Kenya Chapter- Live Tweet Chat-18th Sep 2018, View Event Nigeria 4:00 pm - 7:45 pm Digital Africa Day- Imo State, View Event 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Lagos, View Event Venue  Nigeria,NG_Hub by Facebook, Yaba Lagos Uganda 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Digital Africa Day, Uganda, View Event Venue ,Uganda,Roundbob Offices, Kampala Tanzania 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Tanzania, View Event Germany 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Germany, View Event

Hello, Are you ready to make a difference? CTA and Women in Tech Africa , have partnered to create one day entreprenuerial workshops to encourage more women into agritech as a whole and more women into the Agri Hack Competition in Rwanda.   Do you think your solution makes an impact in the agricultural sector? Express your interest in partcipating in the competition by filling the form below: Women in Tech Africa will advise on the call for application dates and corresponding modalities.     Please note , this is not the AgriHack competition , its a one day workshop to prepare women in agritech for the competition . The Workshops will happen in Ghana,Kenya,Zambia,Cameroon,Trinidad and Tobego and Nigeria The pitch AgriHack competition, part of the Agrihack Talent Initiative of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), aims at accelerating e-agriculture entrepreneurship for improved livelihoods. It is open to young innovators and entrepreneurs owners of ICT platforms offrering e-agriculture services. This year, the competition will be organised under the theme: Women entrepreneurs innovate for agricultural transformation in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Benefits for finalits include access to boot camps, training, mentoring and exchange sessions, as well as potential grants and funds for winners to develop their products. Fill Application Interest Form 

       A Woman’s Worth - DigitalAgeConversations by Edith Utete ( Zimbabwe Chapter Lead WITA)   “Please also pay special attention to women. Women care for the other people much more than men. Men care for themselves. Women are going to be very powerful in the 21^st century because last century people compared muscle; this century people compare wisdom. Hire as many women as possible – this is what we did and this is the secret sauce.”

• Jack Ma on one of Alibaba’s successes

  Lately, if you are like me (fixated with all things tech) you will find that there has been a lot of talk about the role and participation of women in the tech space, at tech conferences – in the audience and on the panels, in the workplace and at school and in all things STEM related. You would have also probably heard responses to calls for equal opportunities for women being met with responses like, “What’s stopping them?”, “Who’s stopping them?” and “There is a discrepancy?” While I have a lot of personal and intense opinions about the matter and such responses, I will start by being as level headed as I can be, under the circumstances, and do what I consider to be the most rational thing, which is to share some interesting information that I have come across.   Contrary to the comments that there is no discrepancy in terms of gender balances in tech, research continues to show that there is apparent lack of gender diversity. In the US women hold 25 per cent of jobs in tech and only 14 per cent are in architecture and engineering roles while the ratio is even smaller in leadership positions and innovative roles. The percentage of women in Computing occupations has significantly declined since 1991. Some of the reasons for the exodus of women in tech according to a 2016 survey, included nature of the workplace as a central factor, poor prospects of development and advancement, inadequate support, exclusion from innovative roles, unequal pay and benefits (or distorted benefits in favour of male counterparts or subordinates – true story, I had this experience once upon a time) and lack of flexibility to help them balance work and personal responsibilities.   Why does diversity matter? Besides the clear example given of a successful company, Alibaba, in my prelude, research has shown that balanced teams are more innovative and efficient. There is improved and diverse creativity, problem-solving and productivity and companies are provided with larger talent pools. Another bonus of having a diverse gender balance is that companies are able to attract and retain female clients by providing solutions to female pain points.   Now! Now that we have got that out of the way and just in case we still have someone asking the questions that gave me an itch in unreachable places I will now turn to another matter.... that of the girls or women who ARE actually in the tech space in one way or the other. I have had the opportunity and privilege of meeting and inquiring about the whys, whens and hows with quite a number of these amazing and brilliant women but some issues that they brought up made me realise why so many younger women and girls would be discouraged or afraid of entering the tech industry.   For starters in my world, and I have picked up that this is the case in most parts of the world, being techie (or a tech geek/genius) requires you to be super intelligent and unfortunately  most girls do not feel or are made to believe that they do not fit that description. We have been boxing potential and ability based on gender so much that STEM subjects are generally perceived and accepted to be the male only domain. So! When, in those rare moments, a girl ventures into the unknown territory of super intelligent beings the first instinct is to become one of the boys.  Why? So that she can be accepted, respected and in order to squarely fit in. Suddenly, a woman feels or is made to feel that she has to lose her “femininity”. I can definitely relate to this having been in male dominated environments in many seasons of my life – from growing up in a pre-dominantly male environment, to having very strongly influential men in the form of father, uncles, brothers, friends and peers that I adored and looked up to, to working in male dominated industries where women were usually very few at the boardroom table or in management positions. I remember putting away my makeup, precious heels, brightly coloured clothes and sweet smelling perfume all in a bid to fit in and to be taken seriously. This was after MANY reminders from friends, family and colleagues that I had to tone it down otherwise I would never be taken seriously, valued or considered the formidable team player that I believed myself to be. Sadly, this shift neither made me liked, respected nor valued to the extent that I envisaged and to many I remained the young girl who thinks too highly of herself.   I have also heard how being a “cool girl” in the tech world requires that you be able to keep up with the team (aka the boys). One interesting observation that I picked up from Sarah Stockdale in “The myth of the ‘cool tech girl’ And why she’s dangerous”, is that, “The cool girl in tech plays ping pong, drinks beer at work, is “one of the guys”, participates in inappropriate slack .gif threads, says things like “she’s overreacting”, “I don’t consider myself a feminist, I just work hard”, “I’ve never experienced discrimination at work”. The cool girl doesn’t call out sexist remarks, she laughs at your “jokes”, she defends you to other women, and helps silence them. The cool girl is ‘one of the boys’.”   Unfortunately, as Sarah points out, the “cool tech girl” is a myth and a mere coping mechanism, not a real person. She is the product of environments which do not feel safe for women, which force women “to cope by reflecting the patriarchal norms that oppress them – like a warped funhouse mirror.” It has been said that, “If you don’t feel safe to be yourself, you’ll find someone safe to be.” When I have used this phrase some have responded by saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” or “If you cannot stand the heat get out of the kitchen.” So sadly, most sisters are faced with only two options, to fit in or to head out! And the sadder consequence of their actions is that future female contributors to this amazing industry end up feeling intimidated and opt to keep out of the “kitchen” from the onset.   I have countless examples that make women feel unsafe in the tech space – from the Uber board member who made sexist comments about women on boards to the local cases that I have encountered in the practice of the law and as a female STEM mentor, of sexual harassment and inappropriate remarks on social media or in the workplace. Fortunately, instead of merely whining about these issues, I have also managed to pick up some possible solutions to them:  

1. Mentoring of young (and even older) women in tech

  The call that has often been made in most cases have been for more female mentors to avail themselves to younger women by sharing experiences (successes and failures, wins and errors), BEING VISIBLE (so that other women and girls can SEE that they will not be alone), and raising their voices to encourage younger generations to join them as well as male counterparts to accept them as they are.   Sarah Stockdale proposes that women in tech; “Be a role model of how you can lead a successful career while supporting women... Challenge the people around you to get better and do better... The more women feel empowered and supported, the less we’ll need this harmful persona.”   As part of the Xennials generation (those people who came into the tech boom in our 20s and had a childhood free of social media) I also feel that while we can be mentors we are also in need of mentoring even by the younger generations, the Millenials (those who were born into and live and breathe tech). All generations have something of value to share so we need to explore how best we can combine our “super powers” for the greater good.  

2. Dealing with Sexual Harassment cases head on

  It always breaks my heart when I come across numerous cases of sexual harassment where, instead of getting assistance, the “victim” ends up feeling like they should have kept their grievance to themselves because reporting such cases often leads to intimidation and further victimisation. Sometimes it is subtle such as being subjected to unfavourable working conditions or more obvious ways such as non renewal of work contracts or transfers to less favourable environments. What we can do in these cases is to take ALL reported (and non-formally reported) cases of sexual harassment seriously and to deal professionally and timeously with them.   Sarah suggests that we, “Challenge corporate norms and values that can lead to sexist nonsense. If one of your corporate values is “aggressiveness”, start there.” A contributor named Stormy also added that it is important to back up the people who do speak up when there are inappropriate ‘casual’ jokes or comments. And that it can be done privately if publicity is not your thing. Women should not be made to feel like they are ‘uptight’, ‘emotional’, ‘overly sensitive’ and cannot handle a ‘joke’.  The ones who speak up should also not be labelled ‘scary’, ‘difficult’, ‘annoying’ and ‘over reactionary’.   In addition, Rui Mai points out that, “... to avoid any sort of confrontation or conversation about it because to say anything is just automatically equated to complaining and weakness. When it’s precisely the opposite. It takes courage to speak up. Strong girls speak up. Cool girls speak up.”  

3. Addressing the “Bro-culture”

  Sarah states that, “If your company doesn’t perpetuate the kind of culture that makes women feel like they need to be ‘one of the boys’, they won’t need the coping mechanism of the ‘cool tech girl’.” Some companies invariably prefer to hire someone that they can easily relate to or someone that they can ‘have a beer with’. This immediately discards women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, breastfeeding, of a particular religious or health standing and anyone who personally is neither a socialite nor a beer or alcohol drinker. Mothers, religious staunches and recovering alcoholics become the wrong fit in the ‘bro-culture’ environment according to Ryan Mitchell’s analysis.   On the other hand, Nikki J. North makes a valid point in that what we should focus on is not enabling sexism. The so called ‘bro-culture’ may just be what some females are comfortable with and appreciate because... after all we are all INDIVIDUALS. My thoughts on this are that while it is obviously impossible if not absolutely ridiculous to expect a culture or environment that suits everyone comfortably, from where I’m standing, when at work we should all be valued for our different contributions no matter what shape and form they take as long as our performance ultimately promotes the company’s standing in the marketplace despite our personal tastes and preferences. To be made to feel less valuable or an improper fit because of one’s beliefs, preferences, age or sex is an absolute No! No! And any practices that do not promote retention or attraction of women into their industry of choice should be re-evaluated with a progressive mindset. A possible solution would be to make an attempt to accommodate everyone (based on skill, competency, merit) without being too one sided towards one particular sex.  

4. Promote development across the board

  There will be need to build programs to train and grow female associates that leverage their technical and innovative skill sets. Women and men need equal opportunities to grow and thrive.  

5. Re-assess job roles

  In my experience as a labour lawyer and consultant one of the reasons that cause women to leave seemingly promising careers is that women are consciously or sub-consciously assigned projects that are execution oriented as opposed to creative and innovative roles. Even where women are in leadership or strategic roles their input is not given the same weight at the table in contributing to the strategic development of key products and business goals. It would be helpful to assign projects without employing any gender or age biases and assessments can be made thereafter.  

6. Recognize and acknowledge

  The contributions of both men and women should receive the same weight and be recognized and highlighted in the same measure.  

7. Recruitment and hiring practices free from prejudice

  I suppose it goes without saying that in today’s enlightened and advanced world job postings and hiring practices should have gender neutral approaches and descriptions and yet I have experienced and so have some of my peers and clients, the clear prejudice in recruitment by some companies based on gender and the perceived limitations that come with being female. I specifically remember when I was younger being asked at the third interview in one company how many children I had, if I had reliable child care, if I planned on having more children in the near future and a whole host of other inappropriate and irrelevant questions which were designed to ascertain my ‘suitability’ for that particular environment. Having a mixed gender interview panel or team is also recommended.  

8. Retention and advancement

  It has been recommended that evaluation of performance be done on an equal and objective basis not based on personality or gender. There should be “constructive feedback and clear yet challenging goals to maximize associate development.” (Insights provided by Jodi Goglin in an article titled: “Women Are Opting Out of IT, Here’s How to Bring Them Back”).   In conclusion, I would like to point out that while women opt into or out of tech jobs for different and unique reasons, and that while pursuing a tech career can largely be considered an option, the reality is not as simple as it may seem. We still have, in local and global cases, women and girls who are not privileged to have the options, who are discouraged by different factors from pursuing their passions, who feel unworthy or incapable of competing in that space, who lack self confidence or information, who do not have visible role models or mentors, who are not given fair and equal opportunities from the word go, who are subjected to unfavourable or sexist cultures and environments, who are not recognized or valued for their contributions and who are given less creative, innovative and “worthy” roles. There is still need to take a bit more interest in the issues raised as opposed to the dismissive and demeaning undertones that usually accompany the discussions on a “Woman’s Worth” in the workplace. These mindset and attitude shifts will certainly assist companies to succeed and reach a wider market for the greater good.

  The MTN Foundation and Women in Tech Africa have joined forces to create the most dynamic opportunity ever offered to study entrepreneurship in the start-up heart and innovation capital of Africa, Ghana. Spend 5 days learning about technology, entrepreneurship and how to turn your dream into a thriving business. Learn while doing. WHY APPLY?

• Gain skills to test and develop your coding skills into a sustainable business
• Get introduced to digital tools that can help you grow your business
• Get connected to global mentors and industry experts
• Get knowledge about business model canvas that will help you build a sustainable business.
• Get trained on how to pitch your business idea/business to get funding.

PRIZES

• Innovation Grant (Cash Prize)
• Direct access into the MTN Appchallenge.
• Exposure to Mobile App Development, Internet of Things and business pitching skills.

Our intensive program helps you master the in-demand skills you need to accelerate your career and change your life ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Ladies between the ages of 18-30
• Should have an idea which has a technology based solution that can help solve a problem and generate income for you.
• Must reside in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi or Tamale.
• Prior experience in coding or a degree in STEM is encouraged but not required.
• Application can be from an individual or a group of not more than 3.

DATES

• Accra             7^th – 11^th August
• Cape Coast   13^th -17^th August
• Kumasi         21^st – 25^th August
• Tamale          29^th August -2^nd August

APPLY BELOW

    ABOUT MTN FOUNDATION: The MTN Foundation is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) management structure for the MTN Group's related initiatives across its 22 operations. The MTN Ghana Foundation was established in 2007 as a single purpose vehicle to drive all MTN's CSR initiatives in the country. The Foundation currently has three focus areas – Health, Education and Economic Empowerment. The Foundation is set up as a separate legal entity with its own independent Board of Directors and Patrons who oversee the operations of the Foundation. Its commitment is centered around the socio-economic development of the country through the roll out of appropriate and sustainable social interventions in communities all over the country. The main aim of the Foundation is to have a broad community impacting and supporting national and international development priorities. It facilitates partnership and sharing of resources to achieve mutual objectives.     ABOUT WOMEN IN TECH AFRICA: Supporting Women in Tech Across Africa to Positively Support their Communities. Women in Tech Africa mission is 3 fold

• Creating today’s female leaders and role Models for tomorrow’s Women • Showing the world what a strong African woman in capable of achieving • Support African growth through technology

Women in Tech Africa has membership of women in over 30 countries in Africa and has physical Chapters in Ghana, Kenya and London with launches in South Africa and Nigeria planned before the end of the year. Women in Tech Africa  is the brainchild of ICT4D GH Foundation      

The Growth of Mobile Money in Malawi Mobile money is the currency stored in one’s mobile phone. Typically, a customer would bring money to a local agent who would deposit the money into the customer’s mobile phone in the form of mobile money. These agents are also able to withdraw money from a customer’s phone and provide cash. The agents often are local shopkeepers or just phone credit vendors who are trained by the mobile company providing the services. Over the past 4 years, Malawi, a country where an overwhelming majority of the population lives in the rural areas has enjoyed and experienced the benefits of the Mobile Money services. This is so because 55% of Malawians do not have access to any form of financial institution and only 19% of the total population have formal bank accounts. Since bank accounts are so scarce, mobile money offers an accessible alternative for safely depositing, withdrawing, transferring and even saving money. Apart from bank accounts being scarce, most of the local people especially those who do not have a very good education background find it very difficult to open a formal bank account because of the requirements and language barriers since most of the banks use English for their various processes. Mobile money has made it so easy for such locals to have a less involving alternative to these formal banks by having less requirements to attain the service and using local agents who easily explain the whole procedure to those who would want to use mobile money. Not only this but also the companies providing the mobile money service usually have Mobile Money Accelerator programs which raise awareness and the importance of using Mobile money services. These usually take place in the rural areas where one would not find a bank. So far in Malawi office projects for these programmes have been established in the rural parts of Mchinji and Lilongwe in the central region, Rumphi in the northern side and Blantyre in the southern part. Furthermore with Mobile Money, one does not need to have an identity card or any other authentication requirement to have a mobile money account unlike the banks. All these factors put together, have made the mobile money service to be accepted and used by a good number of people in Malawi especially those who run small businesses in rural areas but cannot have access to a formal bank account. People involved in these small businesses who are mostly women are now able to have a safe place where their money can be stored and saved without having to go through a tedious process. Currently, at least 1.5 million Malawians use the Mobile Money service as compared to the 1.2 million people who are using formal banks. This clearly shows that there is a fast adoption and rapid growth of the mobile money service in Malawi. Even though Mobile Money usage in Malawi is growing and being accepted, there are still some challenges which are hindering its growth. Firstly, there are only two of such services; “Mpamba” (money in the context of capital) provided by Telecom Network Malawi (TNM) and “khusa mmanja” (money in the hands) which is also provided by Airtel Malawi. This increases a lot of down time for the service due to request congestions caused by so many users wanting to access the service at the same time. As a result, some users of the service feel discouraged thinking that it does not really work and as such they end up not wanting to use the service and withdraw their money out of frustration. To solve this, there is the need for the appropriate authorities to encourage more service providers to reduce these congestions and alleviate the frustrations Secondly, the agent network involved in the mobile money service is very small. Right now, there are only at least 10,000 agents involved in this business. This is because the commission involved is very low and demotivating to other interested would be agents. Hence, to have a great community of agents to spread and bring the gospel of Mobile Money service, there is the need to have a good raise in commissions. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the Mobile Money service to be taken to all parts of Malawi. Lastly, if mobile money service is to continue growing at a good rate in Malawi then it would be very essential to review and change the pricing, transaction costs and how they are affecting client and agent behaviour. Most especially, attention must be given to the model of charging per transaction as the current status is often a disincentive. Profile of Writer Bridget Nyirongo, Malawi. Bridget Nyirongo is a young Malawian female Computer Scientist (Software Developer) passionate about using her technical expertise to see and realise a high representation of females in the male dominated field of Information and Communication Technology(ICT) in Africa. Since 2012, she has been working as the Assistant Systems Engineer (software development) for the University of Malawi, Chancellor College ICT Centre . She has technical expertise in Computer Programming (Ruby on Rails, PHP, HTML,JavaScript, HAML), Software refactoring, Plugin development for ECLIPSE IDE, database administration (MySQL, SQL), and Networking (LAN, WAN). During her free time she likes baking, reading inspirational articles or books and swimming. REFERENCE 1. Kenneth Mbewe, The Oracle News, June, 2014. 2. Carrie Hasselback, Technology for Economic Growth: How Mobile Money Expands Financial Inclusion in Malawi, FHI Project. 3. Charles Simango, the Malawi Nation News, February, 2015. 4. Sunduzwayo Madise. Payment Systems and Mobile Money in Malawi: Towards Financial Inclusion and Financial Integrity. University of Malawi, November 2014.