Marie Claire Tuyisenge, Project Manager and Software Developer at MobiCash Rwanda Ltd. and Akika Hive, Rwanda

Already as a child I was interested in all things technological and I grew up with the vision of contributing to society – especially in the IT industry. That is exactly what my job allows me to do: today, I am a Project Manager and Software developer at Akika Hive (sponsored by MobiCash Rwanda Ltd.).

I graduated from Moringa School – a school in partnership with WeCode and sponsored by the GIZ. I participated in their career coaching sessions, where they taught us to follow our dreams by grabbing all opportunities we get. That is exactly what we did – twice: seeing a software development internship offer by MobiCash Rwanda Ltd., we applied – and some of us got accepted! Once there, we decided to start an incubation hub and convinced MobiCash to invest in our start-up Akika Hive – a hub to promote women and girls in the IT sector and bridging the digital gender divide! Now MobiCash is not only our client but also a great sponsor. The project we are developing will be used in our community. It shows me, how far we have come and can still go in solving our society’s problems and making life easier. Right now, I am leading a team of eight women with a variety of skills – we work together and continuously share our knowledge to broaden our professional horizon. We hope to offer girls chances to join us in our work on real solution projects.

My job helps me to provide for my family – and being able to work remotely allowed me to continue working during the lockdown. Meanwhile I also started volunteering in teaching the young generation web-application development and the use of new technologies! I know that I am making a difference in society. And knowing that I can do a job I enjoy and will help other people brings me joy and positive energy each morning.

I like to remember how we started, some with little to no IT skills, and how we then learned, committed, and came this far! I have the goal to leave this world a better place for everyone, a goal that I share with my team members – and I know that I, as a woman, am able to do that. This knowledge has helped me to succeed. An additional driver is my ambition and hunger to be a financially independent woman. Last but not least it is knowing that I can trust my teammates and that we – as a group – can learn and achieve so much more, that led me to be where I am today.

Milly Nambela, News Correspondent for KNC Media, Zambia

Currently, I am working as a news correspondent for KNC Media in Zambia. I chose this position because it enables me to present people’s concerns to the larger audience, to report on issues affecting my own community and to inspire other women.

How did I get here? As the first born of six children, I decided to work hard, do the very best with the opportunities available to me and be a woman that would inspire others. Due to financial constraints, several years passed after school until I was able to study mathematics. Even though I graduated with merit, the lack of employment opportunities in Zambia made it impossible for me to find a profession in my sector. I was waiting for a miracle.

Years later my opportunity came through the project ASK ELECTIONS, implemented by the Alliance For Community Action: a chance to receive training as citizen journalist.

I tried my luck and was given the much-needed training and mentorship helping me to tell a balanced story – especially on issues affecting the community where I live. By developing my own stories while working with ACA, I gained the necessary skills and laid the foundation to become a journalist. The stories I produced became a milestone for my career: I received the opportunity to become a news correspondent at KNC Media, a position that since then enables me to provide the basic needs for my family. And I continue to work hard to ensure that I become a role model for other women in my country.

The technical support and skills acquired, dedication, hard work and my perseverance helped me to succeed to where I am today: A successful female news correspondent in Zambia!

Marina Silva Bueno Drumond, Student of Automation Engineering at University of Ouro Preto, Trainee at Automaton, Brazil

Besides being a student of Automation Engineering at the Federal University of Ouro Preto I am a trainee at the company Automaton. I work under the supervision of a Project Coordinator and assist him in the elaboration of industrial automation projects. One of the client companies is Gerdau, the largest Brazilian steel producer.

And why all this? My father says that I have liked technology since I was a child. I loved to read and learn about technology, computers and physics. It quickly became clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career in related fields. At the age of 16, I joined a programme of the Brazilian Government and got a place in a vocational course on mechanics. As one of the best students in the class, I received a scholarship from a local tech company. In the final phase of the course, I got a job in the administrative area of an automation company. When I succeeded in entering in my preferred study programme of Automation Engineering at the University of Ouro Preto, though, I had serious problems in getting even an internship in the automation area.

It was just by coincidence, that I became aware of Women going Digital. I really enjoyed the programme! Hands-on classes on agile methods, industry 4.0 and future technologies have been very exiting! In the middle of the programme, I realized that I was able to talk with much more confidence about automation related topics in job interviews. In the end, I actually had to choose between three internship offers! That was when I started my internship at Automaton.

My perseverance and determination helped me to succeed. I set a goal and then I achieve it. And I take the opportunities that arise. At the beginning of the pandemic for example, I continued my study routine and took advantage of the fact that classes were held digitally. I signed up for several free courses, like python programming for women, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Another factor is that I don’t let myself get demotivated by misogynistic comments. How often have I heard that engineering is not for women! And yet: In the Automation Engineering course I attended, out of 50 students, only 6 were women. And only 3 women have completed the course. But my goal is set! At the end of the year, I will graduate and move to Belo Horizonte, where Automaton is headquartered.

Natalja Rodionova, Founder, Sisters of Code, Cambodia

Natalja Rodionova is the founder of Sisters of Code, the first female coding club in Cambodia that aims to inspire girls to study coding skills by providing free of charge lessons. Natalja is also a managing director of STEP IT Academy Cambodia, that provides digital skills training to Cambodian students.

In 2015 Natalja has accepted a challenge and moved to Cambodia from Latvia, to head and run operations of a newly established training centre of the STEP IT Academy, specializing in tech education. Observing a dramatic underrepresentation of girls in the field of technology, in January 2019 Natalja has founded a non-profit educational program: the first female coding club in Cambodia – Sisters of Code, which has received support and is run in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of Cambodia.

Zainab Abubakar, Software Engineer at Interswitch Group and Open Source Program Coordinator at She Code Africa, Lagos, Nigeria

I am a Software Engineer at Interswitch Group and the Open Source Programs Coordinator for She Code Africa, a non-profit organization focused on celebrating and empowering young Girls and Women in Technology across Africa.

I studied computer science at university, but the mode of teaching in most Nigerian universities today, which involved teaching programming languages by writing codes in ink that were never really tested or run on a PC to give a clear understanding of the process and many other issues I faced in school, took a huge toll on my interest in technology. By the time I had graduated, though with a strong academic record, I was convinced that this field wasn’t meant for me because the educational system which mostly involved cramming rather than understanding hadn’t done much justice and the low percentage of women thriving in this field also made it a bit scary for me to be honest.

After graduating from school and searching for a job for a while to no avail, I decided to put aside my fears and give my long-lost passion for tech a second trial. I started learning algorithms, data structures and how to code in python from scratch. Gradually my interests increased and the passion I thought long dead ignited again. After a while learning on my own with the help of my mentor and online resources, I got an opportunity to join the first cohort of Interswitch developer academy where I underwent series of trainings in Software development and was offered a full-time role as a Software Engineer afterwards.

Growing up in a community where women were not expected to have career paths and were subject to the decisions of their fathers and husbands further strengthened my resolve to not only excel in tech but also sensitize and empower other women in tech.

My Journey in tech so far has been filled with highs and lows and I’ve picked many more interests along the line like technical writing, contributing to open source and advocating for gender diversity in open source collaboration and tech communities at large.

There have been times when I felt like quitting but my resolve not to give up like I did in school and also empower other women like me has kept me going.

My advice to ladies out there who are contemplating getting into the tech space or have been discouraged in the past due to conditions surrounding them, would be to not give up. I know that it might get dark sometimes and you fill like quitting but remember that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for and with that strength, you will overcome.

Bukola Bisuga, Software Engineer at Interswitch Nigeria and Facilitator at She Code Africa, Lagos, Nigeria

In 2017, I was a BSC Geophysics graduate from the University of Lagos, Nigeria with zero coding skills and no knowledge about the tech industry.

After months of unemployment, I decided to begin a new chapter and learn a relevant skill – coding.

After a few months of unemployment, I started learning Python and HTML using free online resources. I had no friends or family in tech and that made the transition to tech even harder. Eventually, I joined twitter – the Nigerian tech community on twitter is huge and I found myself meeting people, attending meetups, online courses and bootcamps in just a few months of joining. I got my first job (on contract) in less than 6 months of learning to code and I remember feeling so proud. I kept on learning and applying for full time roles.

Months later, I started as a Software Engineer at one of the biggest FinTech companies in Africa (Interswitch). Currently, I volunteer at She Code Africa where I help other girls like myself learn relevant tech and soft skills that they need in order to advance their careers. Giving back to the community has helped me get better and help others along the way.

The journey has been challenging, but nothing short of rewarding. I look forward to making more impact and improving myself.

Adeola Shasanya, Morenike Adewale-Sadik and Yvonne Ndu, Co-Founders of African Girls in Science and Technology Initiative (Afro-Tech Girls), Nigeria

Marlene Mhangami, Board Member of Python Software Foundation, Zimbabwe

Marlene Mhangami is the first African women to become voted and elected on the board of the Python Software Foundation, the organization behind the computer programming language Python. She is the director and co-founder of the non-profit organization Zimbopy that aims at empowering young African women. The program started off with a program called Code Purple to get young girls interested in technology by hosting coding seminars and teaching Python. The organization wants the girls to come up with projects on their own and is working together with other organizations such as Purple Lipstick, Muzinda Hub and Django Girls.

During her college years, Marlene studied molecular biology and hasn’t been in touch with computer sciences regularly, apart from her own great personal interest. Still, the cultural and social differences between the US, where she was studying, and her home in Africa led her to the decision to get involved with the local community through technology. She started to inform herself and organized first meet ups with a group of young girls interested in technology, with whom she took part in a first coding workshop conducted by Ronald Maravanykia, later co-founder of ZimboPy in Zimbabwe. Trying to foster her own initiatives on digital skills training she implemented local workshops teaching girls programming languages such as Python and Django. At this time she also had her first encounter with the Python Software Foundation which helped to mentor the participating women. During the whole process Marlene kept working on her own digital skills. Today she is still enrolled in computer sciences at the University of London and has a specialization in game development. In her opinion, games are a powerful method to promote learning. She is passionate about designing games for the African community, especially paying attention to the African history and its many countries.

As a woman in tech, Marlene certainly faced some challenges on her way. She felt like she wasn’t taken as seriously and that she had to be extra careful about the real intentions of the people who were keen on working with her. Bearing in mind her own experiences, she wants girls and women who are interested in the tech sector to be confident:

“Women do have skills, just the same as men. Everyone has something to offer that is unique and valuable.”

She remembered being very insecure herself as she was confronted with experts in the field. But although she is still learning today, she does not want her insecurities to lead her. With ZimboPy it was always her personal aim to create a space where Zimbabwean girls and women could access resources they normally can’t, especially young women from underprivileged communities. She wants to give an introduction into the field and show them their opportunities. A special mentorship program for women who already are in computer sciences provides them with a global network, relevant resources and access to careers.

Her personal message is to encourage anyone to not be intimidated. One can for example start by doing small things, like watching Youtube videos on how to code.

Ethel Cofie, Founder of Women in Tech Africa, CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting, Ghana

Ethel Cofie is foundress and CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting. Because she lacked female role models on her way into the technology sector, she founded the Women in Tech Africa network. The computer scientist brings her expertise to various committees, not least for the vice president of Ghana. She also blogs regularly about her experiences as a woman in the tech sector.

Nanjira Sambuli, Senior Policy Manager, World Wide Web Foundation, Kenya

Nanjira Sambuli is advocacy manager for digital equality at the Web Foundation. As such, the Kenyan advocates equal rights in accessing and using the Internet and promoting the presence of women in the network. She sits on various advisory committees and high-level UN working groups and regularly writes journalistic articles on topics at the interfaces of governance, media, culture and society.

Birgit Frank, Senior Policy Officer, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany

Birgit Frank has a degree in Geography and has been working in the field of Development Cooperation since 2007. In 2011 she became Senior Policy Officer at the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and among others was responsible for ICT in development, particularly in the field of education. During the German G20 presidency in 2017, she initiated the #eSKills4girls initiative to promote digital skills for women and girls and globally increase their access in the digital world. The initiatives goal is to close the digital gender divide.

Awo Aidam Amenyah, Executive Director, Ghana

Empowering children and young people especially young girls has been my mission. I recalled back in the days when I was teaching; I adopted the slogan with my class which became a slogan for the whole school and most of the students who were in the school back in the day still use it anytime we meet: thus Sex is worth waiting for. As a trained teacher, I have been conscientized to pay attention to details especially my immediate environment because it is only then you can understand your students’ behaviour at certain time.

Further studies after college landed me a job with the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) as a Gender Programme Officer and later the Advocacy officer until my resignation in 2013. As the Gender Programme Officer, I was working directly with ActionAid on a Big Lottery Fund multi-country project dubbed: ’Stop Violence Against Girls in Schools (SVAGS). Though the project was aimed at identifying Gender-based violence and addressing it in the school and environment, it brought to the fore a number of other forms of violence which the project had not taken into consideration at baseline. Those emerging issues led to having to lead a group of stakeholders to draft the Gender Policy for education and subsequently developed the Positive Discipline pack for classroom management.

In my mind I would expect technology developers to have regard for the nature and interest of the audience they know to be using the service or platform but this has not been the case. My dive into digital rights protection also known as Online safety started when I was taking a stroll in my community and being a positive discipline trainer /proponent the sight of a cane and a little boy caught my attention. I decided to interrogate why the headmistress then was holding a cane at that hour; my inquiry revealed the story of a 10 year old child who was then reported to the school by the father. The child’s offences were: deceit of the father for money to do a project work in the café and the project work turned out to be the young person downloading private body parts and creating folders for each category. I intervened and promised the father to spare the boy the lashes and let me guide the little boy to do what he ought to do because one lesson my Psychology confirmed the saying that ‘the devil finds work for an ideal hand.’

After the final evaluation of the project with the donors in UK coupled with the burning desire to find a solution to the online safety challenge, I resigned from the Coalition in 2013. This gave me the room and space to research into the issue of safety of children and young people online. I started my research into documents for policies to see what it says about children and what could likely be the cause of a young boy going to a café and downloading porn freely. I did review a number of documents including the ICT4AD policy, the Constitution of Ghana, the then draft Cybersecurity policy, the children’s Act of Ghana, among other International Telecommunication Union’s frameworks and these gave me enough grounds to question the system as to what is being done to empower children and young people while the country migrates onto the digital world fully. This brought about some huge successes which is the compelling factor to venture into making sure that continentally, there is at least a basic system to guarantee that the safety and protection of children and young people in the digital space is not taken for granted but catered for per the requirements of national, regional and global protocols acceded to by countries. We started from zero when nothing is being said about safety online and we have Ghana soaring on benchmarking for online protection.

The message then was simple and straight to the point: children cannot be allowed to grow up in an environment that systematically robs them of the concept of childhood. Presently, most women and girls are being subjected to a number of tech-facilitated abuses especially image-based abuse, exploitation, body-shaming among other forms of threats women and girls are confronted with online. Just as we work to protect the interest of children and young people, we believe the interest of women SHOULD NOT be waned by any form of intimidation hence it deepens the gap and the level of inequality between men and women.

It has been a journey of interesting encounters from policy stakeholders to regulators, law enforcement to Educators, parents/guardian to industry players, and civil society to children themselves. In all that, we are not giving up, we will continue to be creative in getting the safety message across to our audience. However, we are open to support and partnerships which could help us reach our goal faster. In a nutshell, this is how Child Online Africa formally known as J Initiative came into being. YES! We are indeed building the future today.

Barkatou Sabi Boun Adamou, ICT Business Manager, Benin

When I entered secondary school, I heard that girls did not like mathematics. This was evident from the number of girls in ‘Serie C’ (Scientific class). By the 4th grade, I decided to increase my level in mathematics and Physical and Chemical Sciences to be able to advance in ‘Serie C’ and I made it. As the only girl in the class, I often doubted myself and even teachers told me that my place was at home and that I was wasting my time in the classroom.

After my BAC, a close relative advised me to study everything I wanted except computer science because she did not want another “mad man” in the family (referring to a cousin who spent the whole day with his computer). She thought that for a woman, it would be impossible to reconcile the passion of computing to a home life. It was then, without understanding anything about computer science, that I decided to study it at university.
During the first year, at the insistence of a few teachers, a huge number of my classmates (boys and girls) had to change their course because according to these teachers, they were not enough good to succeed in computer science. I stayed and graduated successfully.

After graduating and being hired by an IT company, I thought the rocky road was over. But  for more then three years in the ICT department, I heard myself say on the phone:
Customer: Hello Miss, can I talk to Peter?
Me: Pierre went to a customer.
Customer: John then.
Me: John is not here, too. What can I do for you?
Client: No Miss, I need to talk to a technician.

I remember taking a deep breath before explaining to the customer that I was a technician too and could solve his problem. However, he preferred to leave a message for the colleague.
When I moved from ICT Department to Business Department to take care of B2B as Technical-sales, the same customer started admiring my technical knowledge which convinced him more than marketers’ speeches. Since that time, I began inspiring and motivating girls through my own experience that they can achieve all theirs goals. They just need to decide and work hard and not listen to others.

Grace Ouendo, Founder, Benin

About Grace

Grace completed her Bachelors degree in Journalism and Communications at the African University College of Communications in Accra, Ghana. After returning back to Benin, her aim was to set up her own online media called www.ladygracious.com which promotes innovation and creativity in Africa. She found out that with the experience she had gathered and the weak percentage of women in ICTs, she could go further and give back to society what she knows by training girls to enter ICT related fields. So with a group of friends AC-FEG was created.

It’s all in the mind. The limits we give ourselves are in the mind. Today, with all the speeches on women empowerment, I think it should help women to know that nothing is impossible if only we believe. The most important thing is to try, before saying it didn’t work. We can do it!

About Access to Computer For Every Girl (AC-FEG)
Access to Computer For Every Girl (AC-FEG)  is a non-governmental organisation created by a group of young Beninese in 2016. Motivated and committed to the cause of vulnerable girls, the organisation aims to provide girls with better opportunities to excel in life through the use of ICT. Our goal is to train a maximum number of girls in high-school, especially in the villages of Benin, to fight against intellectual ignorance in all its forms, and to help colleges and high schools acquire computer equipment. Our primary mission is to promote access to free ICT training for more girls in school. We train in coding for kids, basic computer skills, and digital communication for women with businesses. We have successfully organized yearly Africa Code Weeks funded by UNESCO, SAP, CT Science Centre, Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and Google.

Yine & Eva, Founders, South Sudan

Eva and Yine are the founders of the GoGirls-ICT Initiative, South Sudan, a Technology Organization that mentors women and girls. It is a non-profit initiative in the fields of computer science, hacktivism and peacebuilding. Following a philosophy of ‘Chain Based Trainings (CBTs)’ it focuses on mentoring independent, innovative and confident girls and women who can proudly compete with their male counterparts in the world of ICT. Among other competitions, the organization has won the third place at the UNDP Innovation challenge with their ‘Time to Shine ICT project (TToSICT). 

Yine Yenki Nyika is an Assistant Lecturer and worked as Head, Department of Computer Science at the College of Computer Science and Information Technology at the University of Juba for two years – this is her story:

Growing up as a refugee in Uganda never stopped me from dreaming always. I wanted to be a pharmacist since I was very good in Chemistry until the expected happened when my high school results came out, my performance was not good thus, I could not make it. And at that point in time, my parents could not even afford to take me to re-sit for form six again, but one thing I remember telling my parents was, everything happens for a reason which God knows best. And sooner than, I knew it,CISCO networking academy in partnership with Makerere University was offering scholarships to students who passed math or Sciences in their O’level and I am lucky that I was one of those they selected to attend the course. Long story short, my performance was outstanding that my instructor recommended me to apply for Bachelors of Science in Computer Science at the University straight way and excelled in it too.
Most of the time at campus, I made sure I participated in several tech trainings for students which broadened my knowledge and understanding of variety of opportunities the field could offer me.
But all in all, hard work, determination with discipline, being open minded, focused and having a mentor who believes in one’s potential is key to achieving one’s dream not forgetting God above all who directs our path when we seek him first.

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Eva Yayi was born and raised in Uganda to a South Sudanese father and a Rwandan mother. She had a passion for electronics repairs and building engineering jobs that are usually male dominated. She pursued a university degree and acquired a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Uganda Christian University; and is a Masters candidate for a Masters of Science in Information Systems from Kobe Institute of Computing, Japan. She is interested in Open hardware innovations and Open Education resources.

She has partnered with numerous international organisations, and has spoken at leading African ICT conferences including ICT4Ag 2013, Rwanda. Since graduation she has worked with local NGOs in South Sudan, including CEPO (Community Empowerment for Progress Organization) as a media and IT officer, and Kapital Movie with whom she was a Program Researcher and Director of the #PeaceHackCamp project, 2015. As a year-long program that included IT and video production training, #PeaceHackCamp concluded with South Sudan’s first international yet community developed technology, social activism and peacebuilding event, launching a series of events that have since taken place in Colombia and Egypt.

She works as a Lecturer at the College of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Juba.

KerryAnn Deebes, IT Technician, Guyana

My first computer had a bug and needed fixing, so I reached out to a friend, and I was amazed and also curious to know what he did to fix it. That’s when I realized how cool it would be to learn to do something so impressive.

So my true inspiration came when I realized how complex but yet amazing technology really is. Its possibilities are limitless, and it’s always evolving, and I wanted to be a part of something so fluid.

Some of the challenges for me is learning it all. I mean, I don’t think you can ever learn it all since it has such a large spectrum. For example, you might have someone who is good at networking, then another who is good at software developing or programming or coding. IT in itself is a challenge but it’s exciting because it stimulates the brain. So for me, it’s about keeping an open mind and using every opportunity to learn something new.

The advice I would give to girls out there pursuing a career in the ICT field is to just GO FOR IT! get your feet wet and see what area you cling to most. We’re no longer in an era where only men can get these jobs, but we as women can as well. So if ICT is your passion then go after it will all your heart and with an open mind cause I believe the best job or career is the one in which you’re using the skills you enjoy the most.

Tatenda Ndambakuwa, Founder & CEO, Zimbabwe

About Tatenda
Tatenda, a citizen of Zimbabwe, is a senior Applied Mathematics and Urban Planning (Geospatial Analysis) major at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a 2018 Chicago Council Global Food Security Next Generation Delegate. She is a previous intern of the USDA where she worked in the nutrition and agriculture department, and the USAID where she worked in the Securing Water for Food Division. She was part of the winning team at the Clinton Global Initiative University Codeathon where she created a food waste application. As a teenager, she survived food shortages of historic proportions in 2008 and she has made it her commitment to see childhood hunger eradicated in her lifetime.

About Shiri
Shiri is an agricultural practice that creates software, mobile applications as service solutions for farmers while creating a vibrant ecosystem of agricultural alliances. The Shiri application allows peer-peer communication between African farmers and agricultural stakeholders. We believe in an Africa without hunger and are convinced tackling agriculture is the first step.

Once revered as southern Africa’s breadbasket, Zimbabwe’s agriculture has struggled. There is lack of market information for agricultural production leading to post-harvest spoilage. There is also low agricultural productivity resulting in food deserts due to lack of efficient tools and information about better agricultural methodology. Shiri’s application enables peer-to-peer communication between farmers and stakeholders. This builds a strong agricultural network. Farmers can also make profits by cutting down middlemen in the sale of their produce. Seed and agrochemical companies can advertise and reach farmers directly.
Shiri gives farmers opportunity to sell their produce directly or buy from others which solve post-harvest spoilage and let farmers earn money. Microfinance agencies can become more easily accessible to all farmers. Farmers check the weather forecast and do planning beforehand. Farmers can share tools and equipment by renting them out, especially tractors. Additionally, farmers have emergency support from veterinarians or can ask for advice on agro extension and financing.

Ivy Barley, Co-Founder, Ghana

About Developers in Vogue

Underrepresentation of African women in technology is not just sad; it is alarming! What this means is that women across the African continent are being left behind in the creative digital revolution every single day. Developers in Vogue aims at creating a relevant community of highly skilled female developers who are passionate about using technology to revolutionize Africa and beyond. We train females in the latest technologies and connect them to real-time projects and jobs to enable them apply their skills and earn an income. Knowing the value of having female role models, we assign dedicated mentors to our ladies to provide them with guidance and support. Our online jobs and learning platform gives us the potential to scale across the continent.

With projects that include using machine learning to detect eye cataracts, a platform that connects people with waste to recycling companies, an app that helps households to save electricity and others, African women like those on our programme are gradually changing the face of technology. These are the kind of stories we want to tell in Africa – the stories of bold African women who are taking unconventional paths to be leaders in male dominated fields. Launched in 2017 and with a community of a hundred amazing females, we have successfully implemented digital projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Google, Digital Opportunity Trust, Stanbic Bank and others. This is the best time to show the world that not only do African women know how to take great selfies, we know how to build game-changing apps, too. The future of technology is female so let a sister know!

Catherine Mahugu, Founder, Kenya

Catherine Mahugu is a software engineer by profession and a change-maker by passion. With a love of all things binary and a keen eye for design, Catherine has been involved in various ICT for Development projects.

Catherine is also the founder of Soko. Soko is a brand redefining the aesthetics of ethical fashion by creating beautiful, handmade jewellery. Soko artisans use locally-sourced and eco-friendly materials whenever possible, such as recycled brass and reclaimed cow horn and bone. The collections are inspired by architecture and traditional tribal designs, creating a strong yet minimal aesthetic that hints at the brand’s origins.

Soko employs technology to empower and provide equal access to opportunity for marginalized artisans.Our supply chain innovation uses the mobile phone to connect independent artisan entrepreneurs to Soko.With Soko’s mobile tools, artisans have access to an entire world of consumers, expanding their business horizons and entrepreneurial prospects.

We are proud to provide our customers with a new kind of luxury: handmade, ethical goods at accessible prices. Soko works with some of the world’s best brands and customers to shift the perception of ethical fashion and promote conscious consumerism.

Regina Honu, CEO, Ghana

Regina is the CEO of Soronko Solutions. Soronko Academy is a coding and human centered design academy in Ghana. It was started to sustain the impact of Tech Needs Girls. Tech Needs Girls is a mentorship program where underprivileged women and girls are taught to code and create technology. Tech Needs Girls has trained over 5000 women and girls in 8 regions in Ghana and expanded their impact to Burkina Faso. Some of the mentees have received full scholarships to study computer science in university, others have started foundations and online business.

The academy is bridging the gender gap and ensuring that we have the female perspective in the Technology that is created. It is also piloting introducing coding to curriculum in public schools to develop the next generation of critical thinkers and problem solvers. We believe the next Mark Zuckerburg will be a 12 year Ghanaian Girl

Salma and Omnia, Founders, Sudan

Andariya is a bilingual digital cultural platform and magazine on and from Sudan and South Sudan, expanding into East Africa as of October 2017.

Andariya was launched on February 6th 2015 to fill the void of positive and constructively critical digital cultural stories on the Sudans. The magazine covers grassroots issues as well as diaspora issues from and about the two Sudans, with a mix of positive and critical perspectives on gender issues, technology, current affairs, environment, literature, film and more.

Andariya strives to provide content for the socially conscientious, information hungry and worldly exposed Sudanese and South Sudanese audiences at home and beyond – in Arabic and in English. Leveraging multiple backgrounds across a rich network of youth and professionals from the Sudans, we present tasteful, insightful, sharp, critical and modern content in multi-media formats.

Sally Zohney, Co-Founder, Egypt

I was born in Cairo, Egypt. I studied Political Sciences in Cairo University and completed my Masters in International Relations from Saint-Joseph University in Beirut. Then received my diplomas in Women’s Health in Stanford and in Women’s Human Rights in Toronto. I have been working in the field of combating violence against women in advocacy, awareness-raising projects and campaigns with the UN, local NGOs in Egypt and in MENA region since 2008 while focusing on using arts and digital tools in campaigning for gender equality.

Working with women and young girls I encounter many cases of cyber violence, abuse, forced relationships and even trafficking. Although girls’ access to education in Egypt is growing, yet young women receive no education about their rights, how to protect themselves from violence or where to seek help. This inspired me to focus on projects that offer information and support women in finding services they need in cases of sexual violence (legal services, health care, psychological support).

As a feminist researcher it became evident to me as well that with the booming use of smart phones, social media applications and digital technology, cyber violence against women is alarming. I find it important to use the same platforms to spread knowledge and I founded with three women the platform “The Uprising of Women in the Arab World” in 2011 to voice women’s experiences and highlight regional challenges that women face using social media. With zero-budget we were able to use our digital platform to raise awareness, produce information material and even organize street campaigns on violence against women.

Afua Osei, Co-Founder, Ghana

Afua explored many fields of interest in the search for finding out what she actually wanted to do: public relations, communications, law, and business. The common theme among these professional areas was to be active in her community and to help other people. Afua was drawn to technology because its potential to create content that transcends national borders and give people the ability to feel like part of a more global community, even if they are physically separated. Her first job in technology came about unexpectedly: She combined her university studies in political science, business, and communications to earn a position with a mobile advertising firm doing business strategy. Afua started She Leads Africa inspired by her own experiences and recognising that despite not predicting the path she would take to where she is today, she was blessed to have people around her who guided her in the right direction. She laments that this is not the case for many girls.

“I wanted to create something that would help young women like myself – and I knew how hard it is to figure out what you wanted to do, because I had no clue. I’ve met so many other young women who don’t really have anyone who is pointing them anywhere and they really feel lost.”

Afua believes that for making the technology sector more relevant for young female learners it is important to create spaces for girls and women that are safe and inviting, to urge companies to try harder when attempting to attract women in technology, and to encourage other successful women in ICT to tell their stories and provide examples for others about how they can cultivate a career in the sector. Afua’s message to young girls and women who want to pursue a career in technology is: 

“Learn and soak it up as much as you can!”

Afua taught herself how to code. She knows how overwhelming it can be. And she is convinced that technology can have a huge impact on society and communities as motivators for getting involved with social development.

Andrea Jiménez Cisneros, PHD Candidate, Peru

Parting from her childhood dreams of becoming an actress or a dancer, Andrea’s desire to help people led her to social work and ultimately to a career in Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D). She was driven by her family’s support but did not study STEM subjects at school. Nonetheless, she used her artistic talents, communication skills, and development background to obtain an internship with a Peruvian NGO, which teaches young people living in the jungle how to use technology. Andrea feels that for many women, the key challenge when pursuing education and a career in ICT is the lack of financial resources. Families often prioritise the education and career of the male offspring, meaning there is little, if any, financial investment in the girls.

 “I come from one of those families in Peru where most of the efforts are drawn to the boys in the family. It was never really in the cards for me to go to university.”

 Andrea believes that investing in girls along with mentors, role models, and networks of women who can encourage more young women to enter technology is key. She sends a positive message to young girls to have faith in themselves, keep working towards their goals, and believe that they deserve to be where they are.

Gayatri Buragohain, Executive Director, India

Growing up in a peri-urban area of India pervaded by regional conflict, Gayatri Buragohain did not find it easy to encounter technology of any sort. Observing her father as he tinkered with and repaired the different devices in her home was what inspired Gayatri’s interest in technology. This also led her to pursue a course in engineering rather than become a doctor. Given her relatively poor socio-economic background, she could not afford to attend a high-quality college. During her electronics telecommunications engineering studies, she found it difficult to learn because her college did not have a computer lab or other vital equipment to develop her e-skills.

“An engineer is supposed to learn by doing. We didn’t have teachers who could teach us hands-on work. We basically attended lectures, read our textbooks, and wrote exams. That’s it.”

The gendered barriers that Gayatri encountered exacerbated the infrastructure issues. These challenges included mobility constraints, which prevented her from traveling outside of school hours to attend practical computer tutoring. She had to face sexist attitudes from her teachers, harassment from male peers, and safety concerns about being a girl outside after dark. Gayatri recommends using a feminist framework to introduce technology to women and girls as well as advocates for strong outreach to girls located in more rural areas and those who are underprivileged. Her advice for policymakers in India, and the G20 more broadly, is to do more work to create gender-sensitive STEM curricula and to integrate vocational and technical training opportunities in the regular school system. This includes aligning more closely with the private sector to ensure training meets ICT labour market needs. She urges the private sector to launch girls-in-ICT efforts that encourage people from diverse backgrounds to enter the sector. Finally, for young girls, she offers this advice:

“The base of structured learning happens at school. But, whatever you need to succeed in an ICT industry, the knowledge has to be self-taught. Use the Internet, use every form of learning that you can. Do not just limit your learning to schools and textbooks.”

Hong Phuc Dang, Founder, Vietnam

Hong Phuc admits she was lucky her entire life not to have pressure or expectations placed on her by her parents. She says it is very important that girls and women have support from their families and the freedom to choose for themselves what they want in life. Whilst as a child, she dreamt of becoming a flight attendant to fly around the world. Later, she obtained a business degree specialising in e-marketing. She based her decision on the industry demand and outlook of the job market. At her first job as a freelance translator at a FOSS-Bridge in Hanoi, Hong Phuc learned about open source. She eventually started to teach herself how to code with the help of her software engineer friends.

“I guess one of the hurdles is our voice is not heard. Society doesn’t give us the credit that we deserve.”

Hong Phuc says that the two key hurdles girls and women face are social perception and inequality. For example, people think that women are not as good as men when it comes to technical topics. Additionally, Hong Phuc says that women unfairly get paid less than men for the same job. She believes that in order to promote more girls and women in ICT, governments and policymakers need to: support women who wish to pursue a degree in technology, provide resources to help grow the local female tech community, and create a chance for female role models to share their success stories.

Htaike Htaike Aung, Executive Director, Myanmar

Born and raised in Myanmar, Htaike Htaike was always amazed by technology. At the time, she felt lucky that her parents allowed her to attend computer classes in high school. On the other hand, actually owning a device was a barrier and thus it was difficult to keep up.

“Ownership is one of the biggest barriers, especially for women, to becoming digitally literate.”

Now working in the technology field, she says it is quite challenging being a female in a male-dominated industry. Htaike Htaike says the challenges exist because although women are able to study ICT subjects, when it comes to entering the workforce, they are discriminated against. Society does not perceive technology to be a good career for women as it is “too hard for them”. She says many of the jobs are not female-friendly, as, for example, coders and technicians have the perception that they need to work overtime, which “is not very friendly for women”. Even if women do complete their degree, they do not enter the workforce. Htaike Htaike says it was only her passion for technology that drove her to pursue a career in tech despite the challenges but she felt that she missed having a role model and stressed how important it was to have one.

“Accessibility is extremely important. I think this is the main stepping-stone that could get women and girls into technology. Without it, how can you get women interested or passionate about it?”

From a policy point of view, the government needs to look at the issues with a gender lens and ask: What are the needs, where are we now and why? They need to promote safe online spaces, rights, privacy, and accessibility.

Irène Inyange, Business Analyst, Rwanda

“The boys now see that we also need each other. If they can help us and teach us technology, we can support each other.”

Irène was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but returned to Rwanda in 1999 before beginning studies there in 2000. She pursued a bachelor’s degree in educational technology because she wanted to make a change in her country. In her experience, she sees that girls often do not understand how the ICT sector can be a good one for them to join. As a result, some girls do not believe in themselves and their ability to do well in technology. Irène believes that the importance of girls’ confidence should not be underestimated when trying to increase their representation in the ICT sector.

“Girls really need people to push them. Sometimes they don’t believe in themselves. Push them, help them, be there for them.”

Irène felt that her university studies were difficult because there was an emphasis on theory without much opportunity for practice. For this reason, she thought it was hard to transition from studying ICT to employment in ICT. She gathered her courage to make the leap to kLab, a technology and innovation hub based in Kigali. While often dominated by males, the men and boys at kLab contributed to achieving equality. Nevertheless, Irène’s dream to further enhance her ICT skills may be blocked because English is the predominant language in the field. She thinks that if women share their technology experiences with girls, then girls, too, can learn to excel with technology. She suggests that governments fund places for young girls to gain first-hand knowledge and begin familiarising themselves with technology. The government might also consider creating forums for girls in ICT or asking women with relevant experience to visit places outside of Kigali to teach. Asked to give some advice to girls who want to establish a career in ICT, Irène said:
“When we hear something that we previously did not know about, we try to learn more. We can do it with technology. We are able to achieve, we just have to try.”

Isis Nyong'o Madison, Founder and CEO, Kenya

Like many of her female peers, Isis first dreamt of a more traditional career path as a doctor. Instead, she pursued a career in ICT after being exposed to the first modern technology boom in Silicon Valley while she was a student in California. She worked hard at school and was an all-round good student, but she excelled most in history classes. Isis defies the popular assumption that girls need a more tech-related education to follow a career path in ICT. Despite this, she feels that there should be greater efforts focused on encouraging girls to study STEM subjects and to provide the opportunities as well as develop their abilities so that they may independently explore their interests in this field. Isis believes that hurdles for women arise from the fact that the ICT industry is still relatively nascent in Africa.

“There isn’t a lot of exposure, direct exposure, to what the industry is and what it entails and what the opportunities are within there.”

To inspire young women, she says that the visibility of women in technology needs to be raised for it to encourage others who may wish to work in this area.

Jovia Margaret Nanyonjo, Electrical engineering student and vice president of the engineering society, Uganda

“There is a lack of female role models in ICT in our country. Most female students who wish to take a technology course at university would want to look up to someone. They would say ‘Okay, there’s this lady, and she has gone this far. I can also be like her.’”

Jovia Margaret Nanyonjo first became interested in an electrical engineering career when she was young and helped her mother fix toys and gadgets at her workplace. Jovia credits her sister with her digital literacy development because she allowed her to borrow her personal computer and mobile phone once at university so that she could learn to use the devices to help complete her course work. This led Jovia to take an Android development class, where she was one of only three girls enrolled. While it was difficult to make her talents known in a class full of young men, she worked hard to keep up with her peers. She believes that having access to technology can help young women be more creative, eventually transform their access to solve community problems, and tap into employment opportunities. Two steps she thinks the private sector can take to promote more females in ICT are lowering or eliminating the cost of ICT access for young girls and to make the hiring processes gender-blind in order to minimize discrimination against women. Jovia also believes that governments can help girls by providing scholarships to study ICT and by ensuring more ICT trainersare female.

 “If you provide a good environment for the girls, I’m sure they can be encouraged to attend ICT trainings.”

Iffat Rose Gill, Founder, Pakistan

Iffat’s family is from Pakistan but she spent much of her early youth growing up in Libya. Exposed to technology and encouraged by her father who had recognised the potential of technology before it became mainstream, she taught herself different programmes on their home PC. Iffat says that, somehow, we have started believing that computers are for boys only and recalls her experience of being the only girl in her school’s computer class. While she did not find this intimidating, she did often feel awkward and it was not an environment she could thrive in. Iffat believes that teachers are not as encouraging as they should be for girls who want to go into technology. Frequently, families also reinforce certain stereotypes.

 “It comes from teachers, the parents and of course the peers who also grew up in that same toxic environment where you must stick to the rules and you must go study this if you’re a female, and boys must go and study that.”

 Iffat quickly realised the importance of having computer skills. These accelerated her efforts to create a community technology centre in rural Pakistan – the first of its kind. She started teaching office skills and how to use computers in everyday life. Iffat says that “digital literacy is going to become the new literacy” and will widen the gap between the developed and developing worlds. She believes that governments should include coding as a subject in their national curricula and that it should globally become the second language in every school. Iffat recognises that there is a huge pool of talented women where the skills gap needs to be addressed.

 “Women would have more economic independence if they had the tools to build solutions or to access the existing jobs.”

She says that some of the remaining key challenges in Pakistan are the lack of safe spaces and trusted teachers adding that they “still desperately need more role models and more success stories.”

Suada Hadžović, Expert Advisor for licensing, Bosnia and Herzegovina

As a child, Suada dreamt of being a writer but felt that a career in ICT was a better investment in her future. She believed that studying technology and pursuing it as a career was crucial for financial stability, especially given the high unemployment faced in her home country Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her family was supportive of the path she chose and assisted her financially as she completed her studies. Suada was grateful for her family’s practical advice to study engineering given the high number of positions available in the ICT sector. Unlike other women we spoke

to, she does not believe she encountered gendered stereotypes while studying tech-based subjects. Suada advises young girls who are interested in a career in technology to “never give up”, saying they will be rewarded if they just keep pushing towards their goals.

Mariana Costa Checa, Co-Founder and CEO, Peru

“There is a lot that you learn in the field by practising. I realised that you can actually learn (technology-related) things by yourself, and then implement them to see how they work.”

 From a relatively young age, Mariana Costa Checa was aware of the rampant inequality in her home country of Peru. Because of this, she wanted to work to support people who did not have the opportunities that she had growing up. Although she did not study an ICT-related subject at university, when she started a software company with her husband, she realised that many of the developers who applied to work for her company were self-taught. Inspired by this, she decided to create a training centre where low-income women could participate in skills development activities to help them launch a career in the ICT sector within six months. Through her experiences, she came to believe that lifelong learning is the key to success for women who seek to work in technology, whether as an entrepreneur like herself or in a more technical area like the developers her centre trains.

Tinyiko Simbine, Co-Founder and Treasurer, South Africa

“If your dreams don’t scare you then they are not big enough.”

Tinyiko sees the tech industry in South Africa as currently skewed towards men:

“We don’t often see many women – in particular, black women – in senior positions within the tech industry. And without female roles models in these positions, young girls have no one to look up to and realise that they can also pursue careers related to tech.”

Along with Zandile Keebine, she attended a number of hackathons and found they were largely attended by men. They founded GirlCode ZA to provide a more inclusive platform but also as a space where women had a chance to flex their “tech muscles”. She believes that more young women should take advantage of opportunities in the tech sector and grasp the opportunities that are beginning to open up.

Mary Mwangi, CEO, Kenya

As a child, Mary wanted to be a teacher, believing that the only career options available to women were teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. She was first attracted to a career in technology when she did a course where they were learning shorthand with a typewriter and she realised that a PC was more interesting and you could do more with it. Mary’s first exposure to technology in the workplace was helping a tech team move their accounting from one legacy system to a new one – with her business accounting skills, she assisted them with the transfer of data. Mary says:

“The main hurdles that women come across when they are starting a career in technology is a lack of mentors. A lack of people to look up to and say ‘I want to do what that person is doing’. In Africa, a woman needs to balance her career wiht being a nurturing mother, as is expected in Africa.”

Mary feels strongly that women need mentors and tells young girls that with the support of one and if they work hard, “it’s no different, you can be just as successful as anyone else out there”. Mary’s message to the G20 is that they should provide mentoring programmes for young girls as well as the equipment they need to build their skills.

Tania Mukwamu, Co-Founder, Dr Congo

When she was young, Tania did not have a set career goal. However, she always knew she wanted to work in business. Understanding the infrastructural challenges in Africa, she was attracted to technology use as a potential mechanism to overcome these. Her family was very career-driven, but it took Tania’s persistence for her parents to accept her chosen career path. Her first opportunity to work in technology came with Nokia, where she spent eight years before moving to Microsoft. She sees the main enablers for women in ICT as receiving equal treatment and being given opportunities to demonstrate that women can perform as well as their male colleagues in the sector. Tania advises young women today to “just go for it”.

“You cannot control people’s expectations of you, so the focus needs to be on excellence and delivery to push through the stereotypes and false perceptions.”

From a policy perspective, Tania says that more support should be given to schools to implement initiatives aimed to promote girls. She says that to encourage more women to consider ICT careers, they need to be exposed to diverse people in tech and to the opportunities that exist in the industry at an early age. Tania says it is not just about the boys or pleasing parents or partners. She encourages young women to ignore what is popular or what is accepted to ensure they follow the thing that they are actually yearning to do.

Zandile Keebine, Chairwomen, South Africa

Encouraged by one of her professors and supported by a very entrepreneurial family, Zandile was inspired to follow her own path instead of everyone else’s. With qualifications in applied mathematics, she accepted an internship to become a developer and soon realised that technology is a field that appeals to her. After researching software engineering companies, Zandile soon acquired her first role at a start-up software development company. She believes that the main hurdles for women entering technology are the fact that jobs in this sector are dominated by men and, because of this, some colleagues frequently assume women are not as capable as their male counterparts.

“Your colleagues kind of expect you not to be as good as they are. So you are looked down upon and you’re left out of projects because the males tend to take over and run with it. So I think a lot of females get disheartened by that and decide not to stay in the industry.”

Zandile offers positive advice to young girls, saying that this male dominance should not be a deterrent: To be fearless and to dare to believe that you can create things and, importantly, know that you are as capable as the men in the industry. She suggests that by having initiatives and forums for women to come together and discuss the challenges as well as the opportunities, they will be better prepared to join the industry. Mentoring can help bring young women into the sector by showing them how to perform different jobs, telling them that the industry is exciting, and overall simply encouraging them. Zandile believes that women bring a new perspective to technology and can have different yet strategic viewpoints when developing solutions to problems they are presented. By leaving them out, half of the population is not represented.

Amina Abou Khalil, Chef de division, Guinea

Amina had her first contact with technology when she was studying abroad. She got her first mobile phone when she was introduced to GSM technology by her father who worked in the telecommunications sector. But she knows that this is not the same story for all girls in her native Guinea. Girls often stop attending school because they need to help their mother at home, and they are also scared of the conditions that exist there. Amina says that most girls do not even dream about having a phone and that teachers need to be able to pay attention to nurturing girls towards ICT. Beyond that, once girls have access to digital skills, there need to be universities and schools in all areas of Guinea that are accessible for girls.

“A woman, her place is at home. We still have this culture that holds us back. We have to break this image.”

Amina wants to break through the stereotypes that exist for women. She says that women need equal pay and equal opportunities; and that governments could enforce policies that ensure equality and diversity through setting quotas in the workplace.

“In Guinea, like in other countries in Africa, women have an economic power which is not valued enough nor recognized. We need to give them the credit and encourage them by offering them the possibility of making their dreams come true.”

Amina sees the importance of mentors and role models and believes that by valuing the women who have already succeeded, it will encourage all other girls and women to move forward.

Rokhaya Solange, Responsabilité sociale d'enterprise, Senegal

Born in Senegal, Rokhaya says she never had the feeling that she was just a girl while growing up, only a child. Her father was a great influence on her interest in technology, as he loved gadgets and ICT. Rokhaya started using mobile phones and the Internet around 1997 and was self-taught, making new discoveries day after day. She recalls her first interaction with Google and her reaction being:

“Wow! The world is now a village.”

In her role in communications at Orange, she uses Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media every day. While her own journey – undertaking studies in marketing and communications – is quite common for Senegalese women, Rokhaya says that girls must be encouraged to take alternative pathways. She says that girls and women need to have mentors and be exposed to other women who are already in the ICT sector, so they have examples of what they can do and opportunities available to them. Rokhaya believes that women in Senegal are very entrepreneurial and if they can be empowered with ICT, it will help women promote their inclusion in income generating activities. She says that programmes targeting girls and women in ICT should run throughout the year, not just once-off or annually. This can be done through increasing the number of incubators in all regions of the country. She says that already women in Africa are becoming more powerful in politics and in the economy. Now the goal must be to make women more powerful in ICT.

Sajeda Sawalha, Technology undergraduate student, Palestinian Territories

“I’m 19 and I work in a company. Do you know how weird that is? Jobs are really rare here. It is even harder for women to get jobs here.”

Sajeda Sawalha grew up in a small village in Palestine, surrounded by her parents, two brothers, and four sisters. Because of the unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, she says that she has been limited in life opportunities and especially in education. Despite this, she scored a notable 97 % on her high school exit exam, and others encouraged her to study medicine or engineering. However, she chose to study computers instead because her father enabled her to use computers when she was young and gave Sajeda her own laptop after receiving high academic marks in the 9th grade. She enjoyed trying to figure out how computers work and to get the machines to do what she needed. Sajeda eventually gained admission to a competitive dual-studies university programme in Information Technology, which combined theory and practice so that students could work and study at the same time. But she faces problems finding a place to live that is near her university and place of work. Sajeda now lives far away from her family, frequently moving between Ramallah and Hebron. Nevertheless, she thinks the diversity of the career paths one can take in the ICT sector is exciting. She suggests that governments provide more scholarships and employment opportunities for young women to help them become interested in technology. The private sector could also contribute to this goal by ending discriminatory hiring practices that favour men.

Ana Karen Ramirez, Founder, Mexico

Ana is a founder of Epic Queen, a nonprofit that inspires and educate girls and women as creators of technology.

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Ruth Kaveke, ‎Director, Kenya

Ruth Kaveke is the executive director of Pwani Technogalz, a community based organization in Mombasa, Kenya, registered by the Ministry of Culture and Social Services in 2015.

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Anantya van Bronckhorst, Co-Founder, Indonesia

Anantya van Bronckhorst is the co-managing director of Girls in Tech Indonesia. Girls in Tech is a worldwide community enterprise that seeks to empower women in the technology sector.

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Passant Sobhi, Research Associate, Egypt

Passant was born in Egypt and spent much of her life growing up in Oman. After obtaining her degree in accounting, she wanted to work in the oil sector. Despite excellent grades, the field was not easy to break into and Passant pursued a different path. The first role she had in the ICT sector was with the Ministry of Education supporting the Egyptian government in reforming the TVET system through preparation of a TVET teacher national training policy. It was here that she realised the power of technology and, in particular, worked to promote the integration of e-learning. She mixed learning solutions, thus innovating to overcome budget limitations for expensive software.

 “I think governments should include ICT programmes in their formal education system. And I don’t just mean PC lessons. We need to have good conceptualised programmes using ICT.”

Passant says that change needs to come from two sides: at the policy and social levels. Governments should plan and create new programmes for women that are recognised in their current education system. As some women are mothers, she says that there needs to be support for women at home with children, for example via e-learning programmes. Beyond training for employment or entrepreneurship, Passant says that for many women, a connection to the Internet is their only way of communicating. She says that the private sector has a role to play and could invest in the development of curricula to ensure that graduates entering the labour market have the right qualifications for the jobs that exist. Her message to the G20 is to provide support to all developing countries on how to integrate ICT programmes and how to make them sustainable. To aspiring youths she says,

“Catch your dream and go ahead, and don’t listen to society.”