Why Africa Needs More Females in Tech

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is disrupting the global space from the way we receive information on how we process it.

It is also having a lot of positive impacts on the work and policies of different organizations. Currently, this revolution is taking over our lifestyles and general way of doing things as we adopt the new normal.

All of these changes are happening at an unprecedented pace. As such, we need all hands on deck to engage and contribute towards innovation during this exciting period in human history.

In the tech space, research has shown that those occupying the top seats are predominantly males. Does this mean that the development and future of technology rest solely on their broad, manly shoulders? By no means!

Women have a lot to offer in the world of technology, and their inclusion not only enriches the industry as we know but impacts their respective societies. Here’s why we need more females in tech in Africa

Inspiration for younger generations

Perhaps the most important reason why we need more females in tech is for upcoming generations of women who are passionate about technology to see them as role models.

Although a good number of females in tech experience workplace prejudice; some are overlooked in the hiring process; and are offered lower wages and so on, however, when young women see fellow women succeeding in tech, they will be motivated and inspired to follow suit.

Females are needed to improve innovation

In today’s competitive global market, even successful technology businesses cannot afford to rest on their oars based on past achievements.

They need to constantly re-think, restrategize, and refine their processes, marketing, products/services, company structure, and cultures.

If creativity and innovation, considered to be defining attributes in the tech industry, go hand-in-hand, then there’s a need to bring on board people who are not only different in terms of gender but think outside the box. Across the globe, particularly in Africa, females in tech are shaking things up, disrupting convention through their ingenuity.

For a better representation of women

We need more females in tech to better represent other women.

Since technology is pervasive in every aspect of life and almost half of the world’s population is female, then there is a wide market and opportunities for tech companies who venture into building quality products that address the needs of women. Who better to develop and design products targeted at female customers if not women?

It is perfectly natural for us to be favorably predisposed towards people with whom we share things in common. Women who run their own companies work in tech companies stand a chance of getting patronage by other women who admire and believe in them.

To this end, tech companies without enough female representation are doing themselves a great disservice, missing out on opportunities to sell to such a high demographic.

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