Title: Bridging the Digital Gender Gap in Africa: Empowering Women for Economic Growth
Introduction:
In a recent trip to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, Vice President Kamala Harris announced an investment of over $1 billion to close Africa’s digital divide, with a particular focus on improving access for girls and women. This targeted effort holds immense potential for expanding opportunities and driving socio-economic growth in a region of strategic importance. However, significant gender disparities still persist in internet access and smartphone ownership in Africa, hindering women’s entrepreneurship and depriving society of their talent and innovation.
Expanding Access for Women’s Empowerment:
The digital gender gap in Africa is evident, with only one in three African women using the internet compared to nearly half of men. Additionally, women are 30% less likely to own a smartphone. As a consequence, women face challenges in fully participating in the economy. Bridging this digital divide is crucial to ensure women can access information, funding opportunities, and market their products effectively.
Unlocking Women-Led Entrepreneurship:
The potential impact of improved digital connectivity is exemplified by entrepreneurs like Fafape Ama Etsa Foe, the founder of E90 Ghana, a sustainable mushroom farm in Accra. Access to the internet has enabled her to research mushroom growing techniques, connect with customers, and efficiently manage her business. By leveraging digital tools like WhatsApp and Telegram, she has reduced post-harvest losses and improved annual sales. Foe emphasizes that bridging the digital gender gap will empower women entrepreneurs to market products and introduce innovative solutions, benefiting their families, communities, and the overall economy.
Implications for Economic Growth:
Investing in internet infrastructure not only empowers women but also boosts the entire economy. The World Bank estimates that a 10% increase in broadband penetration in low- and middle-income countries leads to a 1.4% increase in real GDP per capita. However, exclusion of women from the digital economy has already cost these countries $1 trillion in GDP over the past decade, with potential losses projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2025 if the gender gap is not addressed promptly. Closing the digital gender divide, therefore, becomes imperative for sustainable economic development.
Realizing Healthcare and Education Benefits:
Improved digital connectivity has a profound impact on healthcare and education. Whispa Health, a Nigeria-based app founded by Morenike Fajemisin, enables women and young people to access vital information about sexual and reproductive health, book appointments with healthcare providers, and purchase health products. Thanks to the internet, previously inaccessible healthcare services are now just a few clicks away. Advancing digital access empowers women to prioritize their health, stay in school, and achieve their dreams.
The Ripple Effects:
Closing the digital gender gap will have far-reaching ripple effects in African societies. By inspiring young girls through success stories of women entrepreneurs, a new generation will realize that success is attainable regardless of their background. Moreover, increased access to knowledge, education, and healthcare for women and girls will create more resilient communities and strengthen democracies. The potential consumer market in Africa is projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2030, making it an attractive proposition for investment in digital infrastructure.
Conclusion:
Investing in Africa’s digital infrastructure to bridge the gender divide is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic move for countries in the Global North. Empowering women through improved digital access will unlock their entrepreneurial potential, contribute to economic growth, and foster more resilient societies. As we strive for inclusive and sustainable development, it is crucial for business and charity leaders to join efforts in advancing gender equality and digital access in Africa.
Additional Piece:
Title: Empowering Women in Africa: Unlocking the Continent’s Untapped Potential
Introduction:
Africa stands at the brink of a digital revolution, with enormous untapped potential waiting to be unlocked. Addressing the digital gender gap and empowering women is crucial to harness this potential and drive sustainable socio-economic development. By focusing on bridging this divide, we can create a future where women are at the forefront of innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership, ensuring lasting positive change for the continent.
The Power of Digital Connectivity:
Digital connectivity opens up a world of opportunities for women, enabling them to access information, connect with markets, and enhance their overall economic participation. With access to smartphones and the internet, women can overcome geographical boundaries, access online courses and training, and connect with mentors and investors. Empowering women with digital tools not only benefits individual entrepreneurs but also leads to a multiplier effect, transforming communities and economies at large.
Building Resilient Communities:
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the critical role of digital connectivity in maintaining essential services, enabling remote work, and facilitating access to healthcare and education. By bridging the digital gender gap, we can ensure that women have the tools and resources to thrive in the face of challenges. Remote work opportunities can empower women in rural areas, contribute to poverty reduction, and foster inclusive development. Additionally, digital healthcare platforms can provide quality healthcare services to underserved communities, improving overall well-being and resilience.
Promoting Gender Equality:
Closing the digital gender gap is not just about connectivity; it is also about dismantling barriers to women’s economic empowerment and leadership. Women’s voices and perspectives are essential in shaping policies and driving meaningful change. Investing in digital skills training and capacity-building programs can equip women with the tools they need to overcome barriers and excel in various fields. Furthermore, promoting gender equality in the digital sphere helps challenge stereotypes, break down gender norms, and create a more inclusive social fabric.
Investing in Africa’s Future:
Investing in Africa’s digital infrastructure is a strategic move for the Global North, given the continent’s rapid population growth and expanding consumer market. By prioritizing digital connectivity and empowering women, countries in the Global North can establish long-term partnerships that foster mutual growth and development. Furthermore, by supporting initiatives that promote gender equality in Africa, we can strengthen the overall global economy and create a more resilient and prosperous world.
Conclusion:
Bridging the digital gender gap in Africa is not just a matter of addressing inequality; it is an investment in the continent’s future. By empowering women with digital tools and opportunities, we unlock their potential to drive innovation, economic growth, and social change. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the benefits of the digital revolution are accessible to all, leaving no woman or community behind. Through collaboration and commitment, we can create a more inclusive and prosperous Africa that harnesses the power of women’s entrepreneurship and leadership.
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During a trip to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia last month, Vice President Kamala Harris announced more than $1 billion in public and private investment to close Africa’s digital divide – with a particular focus on improving access to girls and women. That may seem like a niche target. Indeed, not only will it expand opportunities for millions of people, but it will also have far-reaching implications for health, growth, stability and resilience in a region of increasing strategic importance.
Improving women’s access to digital technologies and skills is vital to ensure they can fully participate and contribute in today’s economy. But only One in three African women uses the internet today compared to nearly half of men. Women on the continent are too 30% less likely than men own a smartphone.
This lack of access hampers women’s entrepreneurship and robs society of talent and innovation.
For example, the internet was instrumental in helping Fafape Ama Etsa Foe start E90 Ghana, a sustainable farm in Accra that uses sawdust to grow mushrooms. Sawdust, a by-product of the wood processing industry, is typically burned, which pollutes the air and can lead to health problems, including cancer. E90 Ghana instead produces healthy and nutritious food while improving the environment and increasing the resilience of the local food system to climate change.
Known locally as the “Mushroom Queen,” Ms. Foe recently met with Vice President Harris to discuss the economic importance of women’s empowerment, told me that the internet has helped her explore mushroom growing techniques, challenges, and opportunities research. Today she is also able to reach more customers and keep costs low. “I’m connected to all my regular customers via WhatsApp and Telegram, where I take their orders and deliver them smoothly and without delay,” she says. “These digital tools have helped me prevent post-harvest losses, which used to account for up to 25% of annual sales.”
Ms Foe believes that improving digital connectivity will boost women’s entrepreneurship on the continent by expanding access to information and funding opportunities: “Bridging the digital gender divide will help women in particular to market their products and also bring new innovative products to market.”
It will also benefit their families, communities and society at large. In fact, investing in internet infrastructure is boosting the economy as a whole. World Bank estimates that a 10% increase in broadband penetration in low- and middle-income economies leads to a 1.4% increase in real GDP per capita. And according to the UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022 report.Excluding women from the digital economy has already cost low- and middle-income countries $1 trillion in GDP over the past decade — and the cost could soar to $1.5 trillion by 2025 if nothing is done to address it to close this gap.
Whispa Health is another example of a business started by a woman that would not be possible without reliable internet access. It is a Nigeria-based app that offers users – mostly women and younger people – access to information about their sexual and reproductive health, as well as a platform to book appointments with health care providers and to buy contraceptives, STI tests and other health products .
Morenike Fajemisin, co-founder and CEO, told me she wants to help young women take care of their health so they can stay in school and achieve their dreams. “As long as this woman or young person has access to a smartphone, they have the opportunity to engage with Whispa Health through our app or any of our social media channels,” she said. “Thanks to the internet, she’s just a few clicks away from the shame-free and confidential health care she needs.”
We need more women entrepreneurs like Ms. Foe and Ms. Fajemisin to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face today, including climate change, pandemic surveillance and democratic backsliding. Closing the digital gender gap in Africa is a crucial first step. It will open up the innovation economy to millions of women and girls across the continent. This will give them – and through them their children and communities – access to knowledge and quality education and healthcare, which in turn will further boost economic development, help build more resilient communities and strengthen democracies.
The ripple effects will be far-reaching. Ms. Fajemisin told me, “When girls hear about successful women from a similar background or nationality, they realize that such success is possible for them too.” (Or as civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman put it: “You can’t be , which one does not see.”)
The Global North should not hesitate to invest in Africa’s digital infrastructure. The population of sub-Saharan Africa – around 1.2 billion people today – will almost double by 2050. And according to a study by Brookings InstitutionBy 2030, consumer spending on the continent is projected to reach $2.5 trillion.
More business and charity leaders should heed Vice President Harris’ call to join efforts to advance gender equality and digital access in Africa. We will all benefit from it.
Michelle A. Williams is Dean of the Faculty at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com comments are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of wealth.
More worth reading comment published by wealth:
https://fortune.com/2023/06/19/only-1-in-3-african-women-have-access-to-the-internet-compared-with-half-of-men-the-cost-to-the-continents-economy-could-be-in-the-billions/
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