Increase support for women in technology space
Participants at a gathering of distinguished women leaders to mark International Women's Day (IWD) last Wednesday have called for bolder interventions to increase women’s business ownership in the technology space.
Advertisement
According to the diverse lined-up of speakers for the inter-generational dislogue, whereas young women graduate each year from various universities, often top of their class, with laurels in tech related programmes, regrettably, they lack visibility in the high technology business ownership space
The speakers which included Ghana’s first female Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, Dr Sangu Delle, the CEO of CarePoint and a student leader Xolasie Mawuenyega were of the view that there were limited women role models in the technology space to encourage young women in taking up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEMS) courses.
Similarly, the persistent culture that tends to exclude women and convey stereotypes about women's abilities, they emphasised, had widened the gender gap in the digital innovation and technology sector.
Event
The event, organised by the 40 Roses Foundation and the Moremi Initiative for Women's Leadership in Africa in partnership with the Embassy of France in Ghana and dubbed “Cocktails and Conversations", in addition to celebrating the achievements of women, also reflected on the 2023 theme for IWD- the power of innovation and technology in driving change for gender equity. It brought together women from academia, governance, business, the diplomatic community as well as students.
The impact of technology, the speakers stressed, could help enhance economic opportunities for women, helping to participate in informed decision-making.
Mrs Osei said whereas the inclusion of women in the technological evolution could translate into further benefits for society in general, cyberbullying and sexism against women and girls have become a complex issue society had to deal with.
"Victims of cyberbullying, are often humiliated, harassed, and threatened, causing immense distress to people's lives leaving many with suicidal behaviours", Mrs Osei lamented.
France
The French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules Armand Aniambossou, in his remarks, said whereas Ghana had made tremendous progress in pushing the gender equality agenda, the seemingly absence of women in technology as role models continued to derail the efforts being made.
Ghana, he said, had a proud history of influential and phenomenal women leaders who had shaped the nation and made a global impact.
“There are outstanding women leaders who have distinguished themselves in Politics, Academia, Business, Law, among others- including serving in some of the highest offices like Chief Justice, Speaker of Parliament, among others,” Mr Aniambossou said.
France, he noted, had adopted feminist foreign diplomacy making gender equality a key priority, and wish countries could adopt same.
Enforce Opportunities
Celebrated Nigerian Actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, who was the special guest at the event, for her part expressed regret that women had been deprived of equal rights in education and other opportunities for years.
Achieving equity, she said, ought to recognise that each person had different circumstances and the allocation of resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
“This year, we celebrate women who are in science and technology as well as those using the same to further Women’s causes all around the World, and I enjoin you all to also use technology as it is available to us all now to call out unacceptable behaviors such as body shaming, bullying and any form of toxicity or repression against women anywhere and everywhere,” Ms Jalade-Ekeinde said.
40 Roses
In her welcome address, the Executive Director of 40 Roses Foundation, Ms Penelope Jones-Mensah, said realising the ambition of empowerment, equality, and inclusion required an intergenerational approach in enforcing the power of innovation and technology for the change being sought.
She noted that men, like women, had a responsibility to ensure that the potential of girls and women, just like those of men and boys, were nurtured and their contributions fully recognised and celebrated
“Today, as we celebrate on how best we can individually and collectively mobilise ideas and technology to advance the gender equality agenda, let's commit to growing together such that we do not leave our underprivileged sisters and daughters behind,” Ms Jones-Mensah said.
Present at the event were the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer; the Morroccan Ambassador to Ghana, Imane Quaadil a second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Elsie Addo-Awadzi, Deputy Minister for Gender and Social Protection, Francisca Oteng-Mensah; former Gender Ministers, Otiko Afisa Djaba, a former Deputy Minister of Transport, Joyce Bawa- Mogtari, the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common, Naa Torshie Addo-Lartey, ICT expert, Friday Bedwei with Yvette Adounvo Atekpe, CEO of Petra Trust moderating the conversations.