Why AWIT Was Formed

In 2012, Anie Akpe a tech enthusiast, attended a couple of tech events in Nigeria and realized that there was a relatively low representation and active participation of women in the tech sector.

Anie Akpe Founder African Women In Tech (AWIT)

This was mostly attributed to the social conditioning especially in Africa, which did not promote the participation of women in some sectors like technology through professional prioritization, thus, limiting the number of women who picked an interest in tech fields. Considering the inter-relationship technology has come to have with every job sector, it has become evident that tech is very relevant for everybody, irrespective of sex or gender.

 

Identifying this problem, Anie decided to provide solutions that will address it, by founding African Women in Technology (AWIT), an organization that promotes the participation of African women in the tech sector by creating a community that constantly highlights the prominent representation of women in technology, who in turn,  provide mentorship to other young girls and women in Africa, orienting them on the importance of taking active roles in the technology through event based workshops and panel sessions that would not only sensitize them but equally provide networking for extended career mentorship, and engage them in internship opportunities through liaisons with relevant stakeholders in the global tech industry.

 

Africa Women in Technology also provides skill-set development trainings for women,  designed to equip them with practical technology skills needed for career growth and business development. This also inculcates entrepreneurship trainings for women in business as a tool for growth. African Women in Technology is poised to enhance women’s value proposition in business and economic growth by creating a stable platform that will equip them to proactively utilize ICT in contributing towards the process of trade competitiveness, socio-economic transformation, sustainable growth, and socio-economic development.

 

All AWIT programs lead to improved access to and control of technology for women and girls, especially in remote and marginalized areas, creating equal opportunities and increasing the productivity of women throughout Africa, by creating more tech exposure for development and self sufficiency.

October 25, 2019