This event will examine both the utopian and dystopian implications of rapid technological change and digitalization for gender equality in Africa. While technology has the potential to promote women's economic and social empowerment and address gender-based violence and abuse, it can also perpetuate gendered inequalities and entrench marginalization and exclusion.

To ensure that technology contributes positively to gender equality in Africa, it is crucial to address the digital gender divide, promote inclusive and gender-sensitive technology design, and engage in ongoing critical reflection and analysis of the impacts of technology on gender equality.

Through discussions with women leaders in the digital technology field we hope to achieve the following objectives: to discuss the gendered implications of the rapid evolution of digital technologies on the empowerment of women and girls in Africa; to reflect on the existing opportunities to leverage technology to minimize the aforementioned gender disparities, towards the empowerment of women and girls in Africa and to provide policy recommendations on the integration of digital technologies to advance gender equality in Africa.

This event is one of many contributions to International Women’s Day.

This event is part of the African Leadership Centre's - Africa Week 2023 - taking place 6-10 March 2023.

This event is online. A link to join Zoom will be sent to registered attendees prior to the event.

Speakers

Chairs

Njoki Ngunyi, Communication and Multimedia Associate, African Leadership Centre

Maggie LoWilla, Program Associate-Fellowships, African Leadership Centre

 

Panel

Fungai Machirori, Digital Practitioner and Commentator

Fungai is a Zimbabwean digital practitioner and commentator who straddles the the world between theory and practice. Her main area of research interest is digital sociology with a focus on identity, agency and power within African digitality. She has been an award-winning blogger and runs an award-winning digital women’s project, Her Zimbabwe. She is a previous Tow-Knight Fellow with the City University of New York and an ambassador for the World Summit Youth Awards. Currently, she hosts The Digitally Native Podcast where she discusses a range of digital and social media developments from an African perspective.

Nyadak Lam, Communications and Project Manager at Potters Digital.

Nyadak Lam is a Peace and Conflict Practitioner & Communications Specialist focused on Peacebuilding, Policy and Digital Communications. She has been active in the civil space with a focus on National Policy Making, Youth, Peace and Security, Human Rights, Gender, Technology and Mediation. Through this, she is a member of several networks across the country on national issues and has represented Youth of South Sudan in different forums regionally and internationally.

Ruth Aine Tindyebwa, Independent Communications Consultant and Digital Media Strategist