Our world would mean nothing without women. Their courage that exists in perfect harmony with amazing tenderness saves our world every day (Rahul Jalali 2022).
“Women in tech”, a phrase that is now gaining grounds in the tech world. The nomenclature of these wordings, are derived from the ever growing movement of solidarity of women in various sectors of the world’s economy. Every sector of livelihood in the world has a form of comradeship cohesion for women, from The Oil and gas sector to Finance and economic to the glimpses and glamour of the entertainment industry to engineering and scientific advancement, and apparently the one of the biggest sectors in the world (TECH), is not been left out.
Today, one of the biggest sectors of the global economy is “TECHNOLOGY”, and the trepidation of having a transition of these marginalistic tendencies in the tech sector has already taken shape within the hierarch of technological leadership. Women/interest groups are fighting back, memories of the century long marginalization across critical sectors of the world economy is proliferating the dreadfulness.
(According to the human development report 2017), women and girls remains on top of the list of the most marginalized, disadvantaged and groups with barriers to universal human development. This is largely as a result of intolerances and exclusion, discriminatory laws, social norms, work place hostility, weak bargaining power (due to financial disability), inequality, lack of voice, and lack of adequate pluralism. This is a subject of concern that needs to be interrogated fundamentally. The global ratio of men to women is roughly the same, numbering slightly at a ratio of within a narrow range from 1.03 to 1.06 males per female..
(According to data from McKinsey research for the Women in the Workplace 2021 report), women hold only 34 percent of entry-level engineering and product roles and just 26 percent of first-level manager positions, compared with 48 percent of entry-level roles and 41 percent of first-level manager positions in the technological pipeline overall. What this means is that by failing to promote and retain women in technical roles, who are in the early stages of their careers, companies end up preparing fewer women for senior roles. This affects women’s lives and livelihoods and could create negative financial and cultural consequences for companies, since companies where women are well represented at the top earn up to 50 percent higher profits and share performance.
For Gender equity to be achieved in the tech sector, there must be an conscientious move to some critical indicators of which plays a large role in the facilitation of gender even-handedness, Namely;
- Provide equitable access to training, projects, and other resources to accelerate skill building for women in technological roles
- Implement a structured approach to early promotions
- Connect early-tenure women with capable managers, mentors, and sponsors.
It is therefore based on these indicators, that the centre for social awareness, advocacy and ethics (CSAAE), has put in place critical strategic as part of its 2023 goal to achieve the above within the technological, and innovation sector.
Women are very paramount in the tech sector, because of the ability to initiate special innovative skills and set-off new products, this is as a result of the unique group of demography of which has relatively been dormant in the innovation, and revolution of critical sectors of the world. Having more women in higher positions can improve the social status of women and their treatment in society. We know that tech roles get some of the highest pays in the world, so higher inclusion of women can enable them to ensure a better economic position for themselves as well.
The centre for social awareness, advocacy and ethics, (CSAAE) recognizes this, and understands that women participation in innovation and technology plays a critical role in the all round empowerment of a group that has been socially and economically disenfranchised for centuries. CSAAE has over the years committed to the development of women, through various programs and empowerment schemes it has championed.
This year in line with the Theme for the 2023 international women’s day: Digitall; Innovation and technology for gender equality, the center for social awareness, advocacy and ethics, (CSAAE) in partnership with the Coca Cola Foundation (TCCF) and the Imo state government of Nigeria, has launched a project to train 200,000 youths and young persons, between the ages of 18-35 on digital skills. CSAAE has also committed to have a great percentage of that demography to be young ladies and girls, a great sense of attention would be granted to ladies that would participate in this program, which is consistent with the 2023 international women’s day theme. These ladies would undergo a follow up program to make sure they are suitably integrated into the technological sector and would be given the opportunity to compete favorably with their male counterparts.
Written by;
Osunkwo Kingsley Uzoma
Fellow, centre for social awareness, advocacy and ethics.
