Sthu Zungu-Noël of UN Women has surveyed the many stories competing for your attention, and carefully selected the top ten articles that recognise and celebrate African women and girls who are championing the advancement of technology and digital connectivity.
ALX Africa’s First-ever All-female Software Engineering Cohort
Known for their work in partnership with visionary organisations to empower people in Africa and in other indigenous communities abroad to access dignified and fulfilling work, the Mastercard Foundation wants to help ALX to sponsor young women who meet the eligibility requirements the opportunity to be equipped with employable skills to enter high-growth career paths in the digital economy. ALX already has an initiative dedicated toward women in the industry called ‘WomXn and Tech’ – which was inspired by the UN’s IWD theme of ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’ – the new Mastercard Foundation collab cohort will form part of this initiative.
Meet Esther Mwema, a 28-year-old Digital Inequalities Expert and Artist from Zambia
A long-time activist on gendered safety issues, her current work grew out of the desire to increase girls’ representation in the digital governance sphere. Tech has shaped the lives of young people in profound and unique ways, says Esther, so when it comes to its governance, “involving youth for me is a no-brainer”. She is the founder of Digital Grassroots, the only youth-led organization in the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality. The internet’s militaristic origins, Esther emphasizes, have also shaped its governance. “That means that the issues affecting women and girls, and how technology can replicate gender inequality, were not at the center,” she says.
Africa No Filter Investigates Africa’s Influence on the World, African Youth, and How Dominant Narratives about Africa Shape the Youth’s Perception of the Continent
The research interviewed 4500 people aged between 18 and 35 in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. 57% of respondents said pop culture has the biggest influence, followed by the US and Europe (45%), and politicians (31%). Regionally, pop culture had the strongest sway in Kenya (87%) and Zimbabwe, while West African respondents (65%) perceived the US and Europe as more influential. Interestingly, even though politicians are considered influential, only 11% of interviewees said they were influenced by politicians.
Somalia’s Female Journalists Defy Family and Societal Expectations to do Work that they Believe is Integral to their Nation’s Future
“Freedom is important,” said Farhia Mohamed Kheyre, 29, who heads the Somali Women Journalists Organization, an advocacy group fighting for the rights of women in an industry that she and others say is rife with sexual harassment and discrimination. As part of those efforts, members of the organization have been traveling to newsrooms around Somalia to promote a handbook about how to recognize sexual harassment in the workplace and what to do about it.
How Ifeoma Nwobu’s Dynamic Interests Led her from Modeling to Tech
Ifeoma B. Nwobu is the COO of Sendstack, a mobility tech startup, in Lagos, Nigeria. But before this tech sis started pitching to investors, she was once the face of Vogue online, a model who walked the runway for top designers like Laquan Smith, Lisa Folawiyo, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi to mention a few at top fashion week events. In 2020, Nwobu got the opportunity to work with Bidemi Zakariyau, the founder of LSF PR. She handled digital marketing and gained some insights on Public Relations under Bidemi. At the time, she was also running a fashion resale business with her sister and business partner, Onyeka Nwobu. When Nwobu got her first job in Tech in marketing and product growth, it was a startup owned by her now co-founder.
