Low internet access continues to affect Africa’s women and girls

The existence of gender inequality and unequal internet access have been identified as some of the reasons why only few women and girls are found in the field of science and technology. This view, contained in a news report , was echoed by panelists at the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) side event at the 53rd session of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development meeting in Addis Ababa. According to Jean-Paul Adam, the Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management at the ECA, the number of women in the technology sector remains significantly lower even though the percentage of women in the labour force on the African continent have increased gradually over the years. The panelists at the event encouraged African governments to support digital literacy programmes such as the AGCCI in their respective countries to ensure more girls are trained to participate in the digital economy.