The role of women in technology development was on spotlight on the third day of Social Media Week Lagos, as experts lament the limited opportunities available in the tech ecosystem.
At a session, themed ‘Women in Technology,’ Halima Dangote, executive director of Dangote Group, said societies and economies stand to benefit immensely from empowering women, particularly with technology.
Another session titled ‘Women in Digital Media’ had Taiwo Judah-Ajayi, Deputy director of operations, Andela, lent her voice in highlighting the critical role women could play when enlisted in the digital revolution. In that regard, every interaction, she said, should be an opportunity to create more awareness about technology.
“Statistics show that there has been more return on investment (ROI) from women tech founders compared to their male counterparts. Brilliance is even more distributed in the world but opportunity is not,” Judah-Ajayi said.
She further noted the need to create characters that depict girls in non-traditional roles in cartoons and movies.
“We need to create more spaces for women to develop tech skills. However, in a bid to include more women in tech, we should be careful not to alienate men. We must continue to propagate the message of diversity,” Judah-Ajayi said.
She also said tech should not be about entertainment for women, which is what is prevalent among them.
Busayo Obisakin, CEO of Women Inspiration Development Centre, said the opportunities were not evenly distributed in technology. While the women are used for ordinary roles, the men have the best of the opportunities.
In view of the limited opportunities, some organisations are redirecting their attention and ensuring that more women are giving more tasking roles that expose their talents.
Anney Soy, health correspondent for the BBC, shared her experiences as a woman in digital journalism, noting that it required a lot of confidence, faith in oneself to succeed in the field.
