The number of women and girls in the tech sector is on the rise. But according to the UNESCO, the UN agency that promotes international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture, there is still a significant gender disparity in the sector in Kenya, with women holding less than 30 per cent of digital technology positions, meaning a huge number of tech jobs are held by men.
The gap is attributed to factors like limited access to education and training in Information Communications and Technology (ICT) fields for girls, leading to underrepresentation in tech careers throughout their lives.
It is at the back of this that the inaugural Tech Women Festival held at the University of Nairobi on Tuesday, March 25, saw 25 women and girls awarded for “outstanding contribution” to the growth of the country’s digital industry.
Organized by Teki, a technology firm, the ceremony brought together digital practitioners, innovators and industry leaders to celebrate milestones and explore policy gaps in tech industry while connecting with peers.
Mr. Martin Muli, Teki CEO and the festival’s director, said, “The Awards were created to recognise digital heroines who have mentored young girls and influenced the direction that the tech industry has taken. It was fantastic to host so many women and girls doing exemplary things in the digital space to positively transform lives.”
The climax of the day-long festival was the pairing of the winners with the top 25 girls with innovative business ideas and projects for mentorship through a programme dubbed Spark.
Muli said the winners were selected by an independent panel of judges who among other criteria focused on their mentorship initiatives.
Teki aims to impact 10,000 girls from universities and organized youth groups across all counties by equipping them with skills and knowledge to identify the right career and establish tech start-ups.
University of Nairobi Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Margaret Hutchinson called on public and corporate organisations to lead in fostering an environment where women have equal opportunities, so that their voices are heard, and contributions valued.
Prof. Hutchinson said: “At the university, we remain committed to empowering women in all fields, especially in technology, by providing access to education, mentorship, and networks that can help them realize their full potential. The University has a pillar of digitalization that is currently one of the main pillars that we are pursuing in all our processes”. Her speech was read by Esther Nekesa.
Safaricom’s Donna Rege, who was among the top 25 women honoured, stressed the need to create more platforms to empower women and girls so that they are able to challenge the gender bias in the tech industry. “As women we also need to invest in themselves so as to accelerate initiatives that are aimed at empowering us to exploit opportunities in the tech industry,” she said.
Kenya has made many strides in bridging the gender gap in various sectors. The digital marketplace, however, remains a key area where disparities still exist despite significant growth in Internet penetration and usage.
