Fixing the Gender Digital Divide in Ghana
When I started using the internet a lot in 2001, I kept hearing about bridging the digital divide. The internet boom and dotcom bust had happened in the US, and for us in Ghana, we were struggling with access to the internet and having to deal with the few internet cafes at their expensive costs. A decade after, we had made a lot of ground with internet access and digital participation thanks to mobile phones. Thanks to my work around GhanaThink and my work at Google, I knew and worked well several digital champions in Africa, building web and mobile apps, etc. The next frontier we had to cross was the digital divide between men and women. A lot of strides have been made, but there is a lot more that can be done.
In 2013, I was a Product and Project Manager at Rancard, a major tech company in Ghana that had multinational clients and served customers all over Africa. I worked with lots of engineers on recommendation, payment, communication and content management web and mobile apps. We had only one female out of more than 10 engineers, and she was an Israeli who had moved to Ghana not long ago. She was later joined by a female Ashesi grad who was doing her national service with us. My immediate boss, Ehi Binitie, was keen for us to hire more female engineers. It was extremely hard. A couple of the female software engineers we considered, had either worked with Rancard before or were running their own organizations. There were simply not enough of these competent female software techies to hire as much we wanted to push more diversity.
In this same year, one of these ladies, Regina Honu, started working on TechNeeds Girls. I had befriended her through various initiatives I was part of, and I was excited about her initiative. She worked with women like Rasheeda Yehuza to run a camp in Kumasi, after a successful one in Accra. Getting funding for initiatives like this in Ghana was quite difficult, and I had lots of personal stories to buttress this. There were few companies like Google with staff and presence in Ghana that these organizations and groups could approach for sponsorship. This has improved a lot more thanks to several startups that have grown into fully-fledged businesses, hiring senior software developers with similar experiences to Regina.
In 2013, a lot of foundations started funding #WomenInSTEM programs, thanks to major campaigns around getting more women to take up careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Many organizations trooped to these funding agencies to get money to run women-only tech programs. These included international bootcamps and workshops like Women Techmakers, Django Girls, Rails Girls, as well as local ones like WomenInTech Africa, Soronko Academy, Developers In Vogue, etc. These programs were not limited to Accra. I know several GhanaThink members who volunteered to help organize these in Koforidua, Ho, Takoradi, Wa, Cape Coast, etc. It was important for these bootcamps to be free, with food (Item 13 as we call it in Ghana) and free paraphernalia (schwag as we called this at Google).
Their male counterparts have complained about the proliferation of these free programs that have introduced a lot of women to tech. Many of us in the same ecosystems understand why these programs exist and the value this provided in developing the country.
There are many opportunities in the digital space, separate from software development. Traditionally in Ghana, a lot of women have shied away from math, which has also affected their interest in tech. Today, there are several oppprtunities in AWS, Data Analysis, Digital Customer Service & Digital Marketing. The MasterCard Foundation has put in a lot of funding into training programs in Africa, focusing on getting 50%+ females as beneficiaries. Generation Ghana started programs in Ghana training in remote online work thanks to funding from the MasterCard Foundation. We need many more multinational foundations and companies to contribute to this in ensuring a lot competent women in STEM working in and from the African continent.
In 2024, I moderated an online session with the YALI West Africa RLC to discuss "My experience as an African woman introducing a tech solution to a community challenge". I also moderated a Twitter X Space in Digital Solutions as part of the Ghana Digital Innovation Week (GDIW). The issues and challenges were not new to me: internet infrastructure and access, lack of interest in technology, lack of devices, etc.
Some of the key lessons that have been shared by successful Women In Tech include: "Getting a mentor and having access to leaders. One must get insights on how these people work. Do not settle for average. Put in the work. Have a self-assessment, where you want to go to". Mentorship is really key for guidance on what to do within the digital and tech spaces, what courses to take, what to learn, which communities to join, and internship opportunities. The ability to listen and probe further, understand the problem, and find the actual issues to come up with the best solutions must be promoted in the training.
We need to look at the metrics or indicators to assess the progress of initiatives aimed at empowering women in tech. We must measure the percentage of female engineers in engineering teams across major tech companies in Ghana. We must look at the participation & numbers in various tech events. When we had more women than men at Barcamp Tamale 2018, that was really exciting, especially for the female team members. The quality of work is also very key. We must also build the credibility of more female techies, showcasing the work they have done.
There are pockets of success in bridging the gender gap in the digital divide, and achieving balance. This balance is key for holistic youth empowerment, digital development and addressable markets to ensure the solutions that we all build, survive, thrive and scale.
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