The World's Female Science and Technology Community (I): The African Drum with a Mute and a Loud Sound

Today, digital technology is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, an inseparable lifestyle for everyone in the world.

The differences in the use of digital technology and engagement in the development of the digital industry do not only exist between men and women, but also between women from different countries, regions, and classes.

For example, the Internet, which European and American netizens are beginning to get tired of, may be a life-saving straw for an African mother; Asian women working in European and American technology companies, while suffering from racial discrimination, enjoy fewer traditional constraints than women in East Asia; developed countries have been controversial in their policies to favor women, but African girls are extremely lacking in opportunities to obtain and use digital technology...

Under the influence of the dual processes of urbanization and globalization, the relationship between women and technology has gradually differentiated into complex and diverse forms. Women may belong to a certain group in terms of social identity, belong to another group in terms of job opportunities, and belong to another group in terms of technological application... Women from different groups have different desires and demands for technology.

The diverse female science and technology communities are like windows that allow us to more realistically see the differences and similarities between urban and rural areas, between regions, and between groups, providing infinitely broad ideas and inspiration for understanding the new technological revolution and the future of the human community.

Therefore, it is time to embark on a journey to explore women in technology from all over the world and in all communities, and to explore the magnificence of the global technological wave.

For our first stop, we chose Africa, the “cradle of mankind,” to see how digital flowers were nurtured in the Sahara Desert in the era of digital civilization.

Changing with technology: the double life of African women

Most people's first contact with African culture may be the "standard cultural instrument" that appears in major tourist towns in China - the African drum. As a representative instrument of the Manding culture of West Africa, the double-sided drum carries everything that can be passed down in Africa, including religion, music, dance, labor, etc.

In a sense, it also represents the two dimensions and two lives of African women.

On the one hand, it is low and hoarse.

The United Nations' Global Statistics on Women report shows that of the estimated 4 billion people in the world without internet access, most are women from Africa. In addition, Africa also has the largest digital gender gap in the world. According to ITU data from 2017, only 18.6% of women in Africa use the internet, compared to 24.9% of men.

Yes, there are dozens of countries in the vast African continent, and whether in North Africa or sub-Saharan Africa, women have lower opportunities to use digital technology than men in the region.

In Nigeria, only 12% of women have basic phone access and can use mobile internet, while in South Africa, smartphone penetration is 60% for men and 52% for women.

Despite this, African women embrace digital technology and the Internet as tools to safeguard their survival and quality of life, with more positive attitudes than men.

For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African government launched the COVID Alert application to help track information on the spread of the coronavirus. Although there are more male mobile phone users than female users in South Africa, the 2021 RIA South Africa Telephone Survey found that a higher proportion of South African women than men used COVID-19 applications.

Digital tools are becoming a “safety line” for African women.

On the one hand, it is loud and clear.

Africa's digital economy is also showing an astonishing growth rate with the participation of women.

First, as the cost of Internet connection decreases, Africa has become the fastest growing region for Internet users in the world. Almost 70% of new users come from Africa, of which women account for nearly 52% of the continent's 1.2 billion population, which means that more African women are embracing the mobile digital world at an accelerated pace.

Secondly, the rate of female entrepreneurship in Africa is the highest in the world, and digital technology has become an accelerator for female entrepreneurship. According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group, the number of technology startups in Africa has grown exponentially between 2015 and 2020, nearly six times higher than the global average.

New technologies (especially mobile Internet services) have opened up many very promising entrepreneurial areas for African women, and African women are very enthusiastic about starting digital technology companies.

Ethel Cofie, founder of African Women in Technology, believes that African women may not be educated, but they are able to use technology to build their own businesses. In terms of female entrepreneurship, Africa can be said to be a benchmark for countries around the world.

In addition, although it will take some time for Africa to reach world-class levels in terms of technological leadership, the momentum of African women's attention to cutting-edge technology is very surprising. The "Technical Women Report" shows that most African women who are ambitious in the field of technology may not have relevant technical skills, but they have expressed interest in various noteworthy technologies. The most popular technical directions include data analysis, software development, UI/UX design, AI/machine learning, etc.

The African continent is a very traditional continent, where women generally face poverty and harsh living conditions; Africa is also full of hope, with the fastest growing market in the world, and digital technology is becoming an opportunity for African women to "catch up."

Barren soil breeds flourishing digital flowers

So, how do African women use digital technology to participate in technological entrepreneurship and innovation?

There are three main dimensions:

1. Universal connectivity to ensure basic security.

In Africa, many women are still facing basic life safety issues. For example, Africa is the region with the highest maternal mortality rate, which is four times the global average. In relatively backward Burundi, Liberia and Nigeria, the maternal mortality rate is even as high as seven times the global average.

The falling prices of mobile terminals and Internet services are building a universal bridge between African women and survival, enabling more efficient resource allocation.

For example, the LifeBank digital health platform that we have reported on before has achieved end-to-end management from blood collection, positioning, tracking to safe delivery through the mobile Internet. It connects local hospitals with blood banks and supply centers. Riders use mobile broadband to locate themselves at the hospital and can deliver blood bags within 45 minutes to save pregnant women with severe bleeding.

For example, in the face of the global epidemic, African countries such as South Africa and Kenya have also successively applied digital technology to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

In addition to the application launched by the South African government mentioned above, Kenya has popularized information related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the public through its portal website, and relevant departments in Ethiopia have also established a special information sharing platform to share anti-epidemic guidance. Through the mobile Internet, this information can be more easily accessed by African women, becoming an important line of defense for their self-protection.

2. Connect widely and gain growth opportunities.

Uneven distribution of educational resources and a literacy rate of less than 70% (World Bank data) are real obstacles for African women to use digital technology.

As smartphone penetration continues to increase, widespread digital connectivity has also given African women more opportunities for growth and education.

At present, there are many online education platforms in Africa that provide online tutoring, skills training, and other services. For example, engineer Faiza Adam founded a technology company that provides training in web development, programming, and robotics to young girls in Accra, encouraging poor Ghanaian girls to enter STEM careers. GirlHype also provides programming and application development training for African girls and young women, and girls in grades 6-12 can take classes for free.

3. Digital services enhance entrepreneurial possibilities.

As mentioned before, African women entrepreneurs are leaders around the world. Many African women’s entrepreneurial projects focus on the field of information technology, such as:

Entrepreneurship support

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, in partnership with logistics company DHL, launched the HerVenture project, which provides free entrepreneurial skills training and support to South African women through a mobile application.

·Life services.

The popularity of smart terminals has naturally brought about a surge in digital services, with a large number of female entrepreneurs joining in. For example, in South Africa alone, the hair care market for black women is worth $450 million. Female entrepreneurs Priscilla Hazel, Esther Olatunde and Cassandra Saffo founded Tress, an online beauty social platform where black women can communicate and share new hairstyles, products, stylists and prices. Four months after its launch, nearly 15,000 people have joined.

Digital healthcare.

Digital technology is helping Africa solve the imbalance of medical resources and services, which has created a lot of room for innovation. For example, mDoc, a digital medical company founded by Nneka Mobisson, has created a virtual digital system for Africans with chronic diseases, especially diabetes and hypertension. It contains personal medical care data and connects users with doctors, nutritionists, and fitness coaches to achieve round-the-clock health monitoring.

(Founder Nneka Mauboussong, from Nigeria)

Digital logistics.

According to the World Bank, transportation costs in Africa are actually the highest per kilometer in the world, and many empty trucks or trains are wasted. EmptyTrips, a South African startup founded by Benji Coetzee, uses artificial intelligence to optimize the use of trucks and trains, matching cargo space needs while reducing carbon emissions, and is described as the "Uber of freight logistics."

·Enterprise services.

The rapid development of Africa's digital economy has created a large number of corporate digitalization needs. Intelipro, a start-up led by women, integrates products such as CRM, ERP, POS and BI, and continuously learns from various data sources to fully understand customer processes, product acceptance and business performance. It uses big data and machine learning to help companies make decisions faster. Its founder Mutuku was also named one of the top 30 under 30 in Africa by Forbes in 2018.

(Founder Leonidas Mutuku, from Kenya)

There are many more entrepreneurial projects by African women, and interested readers can continue to learn more. What is certain is that women's technology entrepreneurship is almost everywhere in Africa's digital industry, from light life services to heavy technology and asset-intensive industrial intelligence projects.

What’s special is that African women’s entrepreneurial motivation is not to be their own boss or to be driven by wealth, but to create a way to have a positive impact and change the world. In a survey, when asked what their ideal career choice would be if they were not entrepreneurs, the general answer was to work for a non-profit organization.

For example, entrepreneur Corine Maurice Ouattara said that she became an entrepreneur because of her passion for creating value. "Many students can't find jobs after graduation, and I hope to hire them in the future."

From this perspective, African female entrepreneurs are not only global role models in terms of number, but are also worthy of praise for their attitude of embracing emerging technologies, breaking traditional shackles, and creating technological value.

From survival to development, stories of women and technology are emerging on the African continent, forming a lush sea of ​​flowers.

A song of colorful clothes cannot be played: further practical challenges

Of course, like women in other parts of the world, African women also face various obstacles in the process of applying digital technology.

On the one hand, African women have long faced pressure from childbirth and family, and problems such as education and poverty have never been completely resolved.

In Africa, child marriage and early marriage for women remain a serious problem. Among the 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, 11 countries have laws that require women to obey their husbands. After marriage, women have to take on tasks such as childbirth and housework, and are unable to obtain opportunities such as freedom of movement, economic income, and further education.

The reality of economic poverty further limits women’s access to mobile Internet and their chances of obtaining more economic opportunities, forming a vicious cycle of living environment.

On the other hand, African women entrepreneurs also face many challenges.

Although most African women start their own businesses not out of a desire for wealth or because of unemployment, the difficulties they face are still huge.

Black women are a fast-growing entrepreneurial community, but are rarely found as founders of technology-based businesses, and remain severely underrepresented in STEM fields in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report from the Women’s Business Research Center.

One of the main reasons is the lack of sufficient funds. Women's entrepreneurship has long been regarded as a form of self-employment in Africa, which rarely attracts the interest of investors and donors, and women's savings lag far behind men's.

Second, there is a lack of training. African women are generally more confident than their male counterparts about participating in entrepreneurship, but they are also aware of their shortcomings in training. Compared with other parts of the world, per capita education expenditure in Africa is very low, and 55% of female entrepreneurs said that improving their technical expertise is their top priority.

It is paradoxical that Africa has the highest number of women entrepreneurs globally, yet the worst entrepreneurship support framework.

For other countries, activating women's innovation and entrepreneurship power may also provide some clues from Africa's current situation and exploration.

At present, there are several reasons that hinder African women from further embracing technology:

1. Lack of policies.

While some African countries have made great progress towards gender parity, gender inequality remains high across the continent and according to the MGI indicator, it will take Africa more than 140 years to achieve gender equality.

This situation is caused by the general lack of willingness of African governments to support policies.

Some African countries do not understand the imbalance in resources within the existing gender structure and therefore fail to ensure equity when formulating policies and budgets for IT development projects.

For example, the Information and Communications Technology Policy adopted by Mozambique in 2000 only mentioned that women and children were victims of online pornography, abuse and violence, but did not address practical issues such as female education; South Africa acknowledged the adoption of gender-differentiated development in licensing, procurement and training in its National Integrated Information and Communications Technology Policy White Paper (2016), but the current policy avoids mentioning gender. Zimbabwe also only incorporated gender into the strategic integration plan for the design and implementation of ICT programs in 2016.

(South Africa's National Comprehensive Information and Communications Technology Policy White Paper Framework)

2. Weak foundation.

Currently, Africa's digital infrastructure is still in its early growth stages. In sub-Saharan Africa, less than 40% of people own smartphones, far lower than most other parts of the world. Digital skills are also relatively backward, with Africa scoring only 3.6 in the World Economic Forum's index assessment, compared to 4.7 in Asia, 4.7 in Europe, and 5.5 in the United States. To make up for the gap, Africa needs to add 250,000 4G base stations and at least 250,000 kilometers of optical fiber. With the arrival of 5G, the demand for data storage will also increase.

To some extent, the application and innovation of technology by African women has also promoted the continuous strengthening and updating of Africa's digital infrastructure. With the development of a series of infrastructure projects such as "Smart Africa", the digital opportunities for African women will be further expanded.

3. Follow-up of education.

The lack of access to education for women and children in rural or remote areas of Africa further widens the skills gap compared to other parts of the world.

In Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa, although girls have higher secondary school enrolment rates than boys, many drop out before completing their secondary education.

To close the digital divide, we must start with education. At the initiative of African governments, the Partnership for Applied Science, Engineering and Technical Skills (PASET) has established a regional scholarship and innovation fund to prioritize doctoral training for young faculty and women in applied science and engineering.

UN Women, in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and ITU, implemented the African Girls Can Code initiative in 2018, launching an e-learning platform and hosting a series of webinars to encourage girls to take up coding.

Ensure women’s access to vocational education and lifelong learning opportunities, provide scholarships and internships, consider incorporating gender quotas into education programs, and so on, so that education can become a catalyst for change.

(The first coding camp in Ethiopia in August 2018. Photo credit: United Nations)

4. Support for entrepreneurship.

Enterprise development is an important engine of economic growth and job creation. More and more African women are choosing to become entrepreneurs and are achieving success in traditionally male-dominated sectors such as civil engineering, information technology, aviation, science, etc. Supporting female entrepreneurs and female business owners will become a growth highlight of the African economy.

Currently, there is still a certain gap between female entrepreneurs and male entrepreneurs in terms of education and skills. Generally speaking, male entrepreneurs tend to have higher technical skills. Digital technology needs to continue to be opened up to women to enhance the capabilities of female entrepreneurs.

At the same time, the direction of training skills also needs to be further optimized. For example, reports show that social-emotional skills, such as initiative and perseverance, are more important for female entrepreneurs than traditional business skills such as accounting.

In Togo, a training program that taught small entrepreneurs how to show initiative and persistence produced impressive results: Women who participated increased their profits by an average of 40 percent, while women who received traditional business training saw no significant increase.

In the stories of African women in technology, we also found the presence of many global technology companies and institutions. These countries and companies regard Africa as the next hot spot, and have brought mature strategic planning and management capabilities, as well as policies and programs to support women, to this land.

G7 countries have generally pledged to promote high-quality STEM education for girls and women in developing countries; China's ICT enterprises and technology Internet companies are also actively using digital technology to empower African women.

Humans left Africa 60,000 years ago. Today, African women are using the "hammer of technology" to strike the drums of life again, allowing the voice of this land to be transmitted to the world with the help of digital waves.