Give to gain: African women and AI
Sir: As the world moves rapidly into the age of Artificial Intelligence, a critical question confronts Africa: who will build the continent’s technological future? More importantly, will African women have
Sir: As the world moves rapidly into the age of Artificial Intelligence, a critical question confronts Africa: who will build the continent’s technological future? More importantly, will African women have a place at the design table of that future? Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping the foundations of economies, industries, and societies. Technology is redefining how nations grow and compete in banking systems, healthcare, agriculture, education, and governance.
Across the continent, digital innovation hubs are emerging in cities like Lagos, Nairobi, Kigali, and Cape Town. Start-ups are developing solutions in fintech, health technology, agricultural technology, and education platforms. However, there lies beneath these developments a significant gap – the underrepresentation of women in these transformational systems. If women are excluded from the development and leadership of these systems, the continent risks deepening existing inequalities while losing immense intellectual and economic potential.
Studies show that women constitute less than 30 percent of the global technology workforce, and in certain specialized areas such as artificial intelligence, female participation can drop even lower. If Africa is serious about closing the gender gap in technology and ensuring that women become architects of the AI-driven future, several strategic steps must be followed.
First, digital and AI literacy must be made accessible to girls and women. Schools must introduce students to coding, robotics, digital design, and data literacy even before they get to higher institutions. When girls encounter technology early, they are far more likely to see themselves as creators of innovation rather than mere consumers of it.
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Second, technical and vocational education must evolve into digital fields. We are gone past the age where technical and vocational training focuses on traditional methods only. In this present age, technical and vocational training or education must employ modern systems in the various fields. Trainings and education should begin to include digital skills such as data analysis, cyber-security, software development, digital entrepreneurship, and AI system maintenance, among many others.
Third, female tech entrepreneurship must be supported and expanded. Government, financial institutions, and private investors should create targeted funding programs, start-up incubators, innovation grants, and mentorship initiatives to encourage female founders interested in developing technological solutions.
Fourth, women must be included in technology governance and policymaking. Artificial intelligence raises questions about ethics, privacy, and regulation. Decisions about how these systems operate should not be made without considering the perspectives of women.
The principle remains clear: to gain the benefits of the digital future, Africa must first give the opportunities that make that future possible. This means giving girls access to digital education, giving women the tools, networks, and resources to build technology companies, and female innovators a seat at the table where policies are designed.
