Subscribe

Women wanted for Kenya's ICT sector

By Tom Jackson
Kenya, 28 Feb 2012

Kenya's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Board of Research says women make up only 15% of that country's ICT workforce.

This figure has prompted a response from empowerment groups seeking to encourage women to find careers in the sector.

Organisations, such as female tech empowerment group Akirachix, have formed in order to inform women of the possibilities of a career in ICT, and to help equip them with the skills necessary to enter the sector.

Kenya's ICT sector grew by an average of almost 20% per year over the last decade, accounting for 13% of Kenya's gross domestic product growth, according to the World Bank.

But this growing industry also desperately needs a greater number of skilled workers.

Government-funded research at the end of last year predicted that only 9 600 professionals would be added to the Kenyan ICT workforce by 2013 in terms of software development and project management roles. Kenya's population is 40 million, with women accounting for 50% of that country, according to World Bank statistics.

Therefore, an opportunity exists for the number of professionals to be boosted if more women are encouraged to enter the field.

“If we have this great resource, why can't we exploit it to get to the next level?” asks Judith Owigar, president of female tech empowerment group Akirachix. “We would like to see more people contributing. The people who are most productive in Africa are missing from the field of technology.”

Akirachix, in particular, is working to help develop a successful force of women in technology in order to help build the industry. This is achieved through networking, training and mentorship.

The company runs a training programme in ICT for young women, and helps graduates get placements and job interviews. Mentors, often women who have become successful in ICT themselves, visit schools and universities to explain the merits and possibilities of a job in ICT to girls who may have previously not considered it an avenue that was open to them.

Akirachix now has a community of over 200 tech women.

One of Akirachix's early success stories has been M-Farm, whose founder, Jamila Abbas, was part of the network.

M-Farm is a software tool that helps farmers to get product price information, buy farm inputs directly from manufacturers and find buyers for their produce.

For example, a farmer who wants to know the crop price on a particular day could SMS “sell quantity price” to 3535, and then get a text message reply stating the cost for that day.

Having started in the middle of last year, it now supports 2 000 farmers across the country.

Abbas says the success of M-Farm should encourage other women to be innovative and get involved in the technological sector. “It is upon us, the young generation, now to go to the grassroots and encourage and mentor young girls. Technology is an equal opportunity for us all. We need more girls to tap into their talents and invent solutions to the world's challenges.”

Share