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FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO LEAD US TO GENDER EQUALITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REMAIN “ANALOGUE”
FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO LEAD US TO GENDER EQUALITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REMAIN “ANALOGUE”

FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO LEAD US TO GENDER EQUALITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REMAIN “ANALOGUE”

Marie March 8, 2023

This year’s International Women’s Day is marked under the theme DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for gender equality. Innovation and technology or digital transformation provides new avenues (leapfrog opportunities) for the economic transformation of women. The internet, mobile phones and digital financial services gives women the possibility to earn additional income, increase their employment opportunities and access knowledge and general information.

However, hurdles to access and affordability, lack of education and skills, technological illiteracy as well as inherent gender biases and negative socio-cultural norms effectively curtail women’s and girls’ ability to benefit from opportunities offered by the digital transformation.

According to a 2018 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report on Bridging the Digital Gender Divide, 327 million fewer women than men have a smartphone and can access the internet. According to the report in Africa, women are 34% less likely than men to own a smartphone. In Kenya, the great majority who have access to the internet do so via their phones. The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report for 2019 found that Kenyan women are 23% less likely than men to own a smartphone and 39% less likely than men to access the internet. The biggest hurdle to women’s ownership of smartphones in Kenya is affordability of the handsets. The cheapest smartphone handset in Kenya retails for about 5000KES or 40USD. This is out of reach of many women. Women headed households account for 30% of households living below the monetary poverty line compared to 26 percent of those headed by men according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2018 Economic Survey. The relatively higher incidence of poverty among women compared to men is underpinned by socio-cultural norms governing gender roles, ownership of and control over familial property etc.

Fewer girls than boys are enrolled in Institutions of Higher Learning. Female students made up 40% of all the students enrolled in Universities compared to 60% male students during the 2020/21 academic year according to statistics from statista.com. Further, girl’s enrollment in disciplines relevant to the digital transformation (ICT & STEM subjects) is lower than that of boys. The World Bank estimates that only 30% of ICT graduates in Eastern and Southern Africa are Women. This boils over to the underrepresentation of women in technology design and governance. Negative socio-cultural norms surrounding education of girls versus boys as well as gender roles in society contribute to this situation.

Women on average spend 2.6 more time than men on unpaid care and domestic work according to the OECD 2018 report. This restricts the time they can spend in paid work or to upskill themselves using online tutorial videos and freely available information.

While digital transformation offer “leapfrog” opportunities for the empowerment of women, this will only succeed if the “analogue” work of actions that raise awareness, challenge gender stereotypes and negative socio-cultural norms, attitudes and behaviours and enabling greater female political participation and representation continues full speed. It is the case that for digital transformation to yield for us gender equality, it is imperative that we remain “analogue”

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Media Focus on Africa Media Focus on Africa · 6 days ago
@Media_Focus
Congratulations to @warugurukiai,on being selected for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders 2023! We recognize and celebrate your leadership and commitment to making a positive impact in your community. 1/2

@unwomenkenya @EUinKenya @CanHCKenya https://t.co/XH0YbfZ3eX
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Media Focus on Africa Media Focus on Africa · 2 weeks ago
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IN PICTURES
@AngelMbuthia, Ms President winner, spent International Women's Day with the @EUAmbKenya discussing women's leadership. She participated in the launch of the Peoples Dialogue Forum and attended a Women's Day luncheon at the EU Ambassador's residence. @EUinKenya https://t.co/Lq8hgfv1fJ
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Media Focus on Africa Media Focus on Africa · 3 weeks ago
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We celebrate you @MuchunkuKawira for being awarded the prestigious Zuri Award in the STEM category for your work in promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, and @warugurukiai for winning the 2023 Zuri Awards in the Arts and Culture Category! 👏👏

#IWD2023 #MsPresident https://t.co/66JnaEPYBh
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Media Focus on Africa Media Focus on Africa · 3 weeks ago
@Media_Focus
FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO LEAD US TO GENDER EQUALITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REMAIN “ANALOGUE.” Opinion piece by @mangandomo MFA Country Director.
https://t.co/2ap5am0Dg1

#IWD2023 https://t.co/uT0o4hleCu
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Media Focus on Africa Media Focus on Africa · 3 weeks ago
@Media_Focus
Thank you for the 2 awards. We shall continue to dedicate our best efforts, imagination and innovation to this cause until we achieve our goal of a more equal society #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2023

@CanHCKenya @unwomenkenya @EUinKenya https://t.co/T0nN63ndWK
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National Diversity &Inclusion Awards & Recognition@DIAR_Awards
@Media_Focus won the DIAR Awards for NGOs promoting Gender Equality for implementing some ground-breaking multi-media initiatives, among them the #MsPresident Program, a Reality TV show that seeks to portray the capacity, and ability of women to lead effectively. https://t.co/KLH657b9RP
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Media Focus on Africa Media Focus on Africa · 3 weeks ago
@Media_Focus
Gender equality in politics is vital to building a just and inclusive society. At MFA we're hard at work to ensure that women have an equal voice in the political sphere. Join us in promoting equity and inclusion for all!

#EmbraceEquity #IWD2023 https://t.co/T0nN63ndWK
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National Diversity &Inclusion Awards & Recognition@DIAR_Awards
@Media_Focus won the DIAR Awards for NGOs promoting Gender Equality for implementing some ground-breaking multi-media initiatives, among them the #MsPresident Program, a Reality TV show that seeks to portray the capacity, and ability of women to lead effectively. https://t.co/KLH657b9RP
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Media Focus on Africa Uganda Media Focus on Africa Uganda · 1 day ago
@MFAUganda
Congs to all the ladies in media who were honoured for their great work at the #Womeninmedia #Symposium with @UMWAandMama. Our @RuthNagudi celebrates with awardees-our team leader @janajwang & @UHRC_UGANDA's @RoseMKemi . #MediaMattersUG https://t.co/DEUusubv2N
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Media Focus on Africa Uganda Media Focus on Africa Uganda · 4 days ago
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Hillary Masiko: If some media houses don't have the capacity to employ journalists, what are the chances that they are able to set up a separate desk/unit for #Factchecking ? #conversation on #Disinformation with @KasUganda #MediaMattersUG https://t.co/R35cMcXFfR
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Media Focus on Africa Uganda Media Focus on Africa Uganda · 4 days ago
@MFAUganda
#Newsrooms shd consider investing in #Factchecking desks, J-schools shd revisit curricular to include modules on #Disinformation, #misinformation etc for journalists to be better prepared on the job- @SolomonSerwanjj on #conversation on #Disinformation with @KasUganda https://t.co/FPSc4wNKhK
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Media Focus on Africa Uganda Media Focus on Africa Uganda · 4 days ago
@MFAUganda
We are honored to be a part of the #WomenInMediaSymposium23 by @UMWAandMamaFM.

Discussions on consolidating women’s voices in promoting opportunities for Women’s empowerment in reshaping the future together

#GenderEquality
#InternetFreedom
#EndGBV
#MediaMattersUG https://t.co/g19fuUprJv
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Media Focus on Africa Uganda Media Focus on Africa Uganda · 4 days ago
@MFAUganda
Journalism is about trust, motive and truth! If your media house has taken a particular position on only supporting politicians yet not presenting truth, then that ceases to be journalism. - @janajwang on Fact Checking at @KasUganda
#Disinformation
#MediaMatters https://t.co/T6ivD8JRFa
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Media Focus on Africa Uganda Media Focus on Africa Uganda · 4 days ago
@MFAUganda
How do we get media houses out of the cycle of disinformation?
We are at @KasUganda today, discussing how this can come to reality
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#MediaMattersUG
#KAS4Democracy https://t.co/tTRy4bDhM6
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