Addis Ababa, 8 March 2024- As the world commemorates International Women's Day (IWD), the Commonwealth Business Women - Africa (CBW-Africa) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)'s Digital Centre of Excellence joined hands to host a webinar titled ‘Accelerating Progress for Women in Africa through Education, Technology, and Business'. This year marks the 113th anniversary of International Women's Day since its establishment to advocate for women's rights to work, vote, hold public office, and strive for gender equality.
As the world enters the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, characterized by advancements in technology and digitalization, panelists highlighted the increasingly crucial need to close the gender digital divide. The webinar drew attention to concerning trends in education, with statistics indicating persistent gender disparities in enrollment and retention, particularly in STEAM fields. Despite significant strides since then, studies reveal that African women were 11% less likely to utilize the internet and 17% less likely to own a mobile phone compared to men in 2023. Furthermore, women's representation in managerial positions within the tech sector remains dismally low, hovering around 10%.
Ngozi Oyewole, President of CBW-Africa, emphasized the significance of learning how to code, stating, ‘The gender gap for the girl child is far from expectation. We need to challenge stereotypes and cultivate interest in coding from an early age, particularly at the primary level’. Ngozi acknowledged the achievements of women within CBW Africa and expressed gratitude to ECA for their support, which has facilitated skills training, talent development initiatives, and recognition of women-led businesses and role models.
Mrs. Dobrina Poirier, Economic Officer at ECA’s Digital Centre of Excellence shed light on some of ECA's initiatives aimed at preparing African women for the challenges and opportunities of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Notable programs include the Connected African Girls Coding Camp Initiative, the Tech African Women (TAW) entrepreneur’s program, and recently launched partnerships with Google and GIGA.
Insights from the webinar also highlighted that inclusivity and diversity offer strategic wins for driving innovation. Fatou Diarra, Managing Director, PAYCARD South Africa underscored that ‘diversity and inclusion are not only moral imperatives but also strategic for fostering innovation and enriching businesses’. Pauline Warui, Chairwoman for CBW-Africa, Kenya stressed the significance of investing in women's businesses and ensuring access to affordable credit, highlighting the importance of women's economic empowerment by ‘enabling them to be creators beyond just consumers’.
Speakers discussed innovative STEAM approaches, noting challenges in retaining girls after enrollment, impacting broader business ownership issues. UNESCO data reveals a significant education trend shift in Tanzania. In 1970, enrollment was 66%, with 66 girls for every 100 boys. By 2022, enrollment surpassed boys, with 112 girls for every 100 boys. However, retention rates remain a challenge, with only 78 girls remaining enrolled for every 100 boys. This highlights the necessity for ongoing efforts to improve retention strategies and promote equitable education access.
Emerging trends in education, technology, and business from the perspective of young people were shared. Ms. Lydia Berhanu, an Environmental Engineering Student at Addis Ababa University emphasized the importance of innovative approaches in STEAM fields, emphasizing the need for personalized and experiential learning, along with integration of gamification to facilitate interactive learning experiences.
Dr. Hilda Mwakatumbula further emphasized the scarcity of new businesses managed by women and highlighted the disparity between Limited Liability Businesses (LLB) and sole proprietorships, where the latter dominates disproportionately. Stressing the pivotal role of education, she underscored the need for young girls to hone their digital skills in STEAM fields to narrow this gap.
In conclusion, the webinar underscored that education and entrepreneurship, powered by digital technology, serve as powerful pathways for women to achieve economic independence and contribute to sustainable development. ECA and CWA-Africa reiterated their commitment to support Member States’ effort towards enabling the girl child the opportunity to develop her essential digital skills, therefore fostering a future where every woman can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.
While doing so however, tech laws and policies should ensure technology itself does not become a factor for further disparity. The speakers reiterated their commitment to working with member states and partners to ensure every girl has the opportunity to learn, develop essential digital skills, and pursue careers across diverse industries.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Dobrina Portier,
Economic Affairs Officer, Digital Center of Excellence
Technology and Innovation Section
Economic Commission for Africa
Email: dobrina.poirier@un.org
About The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
ECA is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations, established to promote economic and social development in Africa. ECA works closely with member states, regional institutions, and other partners to support sustainable development, policy dialogue, research, and capacity-building initiatives across the continent. Among its key digital transformation deliverables for its member states is supporting the implementation of the Good Digital ID Framework Principles as enabling factors for Africa’s digital economy, inclusive growth, and regional integration. For more information visit:https://www.uneca.org/dite-africa
About CWA-Africa
CBW – Africa is dedicated to empowering women across Africa by providing them with the tools and resources they need to achieve success in every aspect of their lives. It aims to boost women’s entrepreneurship by scaling up access to financial products and services, building capacity, expanding networks, offering mentors, providing opportunities to link with domestic and global markets, and strengthening the voice of women in leading to a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. For more information visit:https://www.cbwafrica.org/