Why has sexism festered for so long in Silicon Valley?

Silicon Valley and the wider tech industry have a problem with women. At least, that is what you might conclude after a week that has seen a leading tech investor resign after admitting his involvement in sexual harassment. In just two weeks, two powerful Silicon Valley investors have resigned from the firms they cofounded after women accused them of sexual harassment according to CNN. The men, 500 Startups cofounder Dave McClure and Binary Capital cofounder Justin Caldbeck, didn’t just cross the line once, according to the allegations. Multiple women —…

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#SheTechsAfrica: Miss.Africa Seed Fund Announces its 2016/17 Prize Winners

Closing the global digital gender divide is a pressing concern. Women are yet to reach their full potential as participants in all aspects of society. Closing this digital gender gap can help empower women and girls to actively participate in governance as civil society members and political leaders. The Miss.Africa digital Program, a Pan-African trust program of DotConnectAfrica (DCA) , is aimed in attracting more young girls and women to the Internet platform to enable them form a sizable demographic of Internet users in Africa, thereby involving them in complementary…

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CIO Names Founder & CEO of DotConnectAfrica Sophia Bekele “Industry Trailblazer and Internet-Governance Pioneer”

CIO East Africa has been following Bekele’s work for many years now and so did we, at ITBusinessdirect.  No wonder the influential Business and Tech News Magazine in its May Issue 2017 decided to lay out a two page  spread and a cover note on this impressive Women-In-Tech and “her significant contribution to her field” entitled “MEET SOPHIA BEKELE – Industry Trailblazer and Internet Governance Pioneer”. True enough, Bekele’s career reads as one that simply picks up and champion the most challenging causes that society has neglected or that have…

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In 2017, 17% of startups have a female founders

The percentage of startups that have at least one female founder was flat in the first quarter of 2017. From 2009 to 2012, the percent of venture-funded companies with women founders increased by nearly 8 percent; however, the percentage of women-founded venture-backed companies has plateaued at approximately 17 percent since 2012. And as we look at Q1 2017 data, that percent doesn’t appear to have changed. For those who are keeping track, that’s nearly five years with no percentage growth in women-founded venture-backed startups. The absolute number of companies (along…

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Eight most influential Women in the Tech Scene

Its still considered a man’s world, a Male dominated arena. However, the global technology industry has plenty of women in leading roles. Many of the influential women have invested in innovate companies both locally and abroad in a bid to change the several perceptions on women in technology. As of now, Women are playing some major roles in the tech scene as opposed the previous perceptions. From roles in the financial and HR departments, women have taken senior posts in tech giant companies and have as well created a voice…

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Microsoft steps up media campaign urging girls to pursue STEM careers

For the next phase of its “Make What’s Next” campaign, which encourages girls to enter tech and science fields, Microsoft is launching a spot that shows girls the steps they have to take to make their STEM goals a reality. The campaign was introduced last year and highlighted today with a video of young girls talking about they would do change the world. The girls who appear to be tweens and teens are resolute and confidant about the challenges they want to tackle: climate change, making sure there’s enough water…

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Leveling the playing field for women in tech is vital for emerging industries

The Technological industry’s playing field is devised and maintained mostly by men leaving women at an inherent disadvantage.  This is simply not a fight for equality but a reality that the industry should acknowledge to improve consumer adoption. The bias is hardwired into the very building blocks of the system, making it hard for men, who enjoy the upside of that same bias, to see the problem. Tech Crunch reports that it’s not a conspiracy, but an error on the part of the architects who don’t realize that diversity has…

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Intel Launches A Radio Show To Empower Girls In Nigeria

Intel

Intel through their ‘She Will Connect’ program have launched a radio show and a features column that is aimed at providing digital literacy skills to women and girls in Nigeria, Vanguard reports. The move is part of Intel’s efforts in empowering women and girls by enabling them to pick up skills in digital literacy through new, innovative and scalable models. In line with this, the radio show, ‘She Will Connect Radio Show’ is targeted at young girls and women and will help them access an innovative combination of digital literacy…

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Vodacom Nigeria Trains 25 Female Students on IoT

1Gbps

Vodacom Nigeria trained 25 female students on IoT as part of its support for the Girls In ICT program, Vanguard reports. The students learned how IoT is used in ensuring people’s safety and in securing the world today. The girls got a chance to tour the company’s facilities which exposed them to the importance of connectivity and data security. Vodacom hopes that by training female students in matters ICT, they will help in demystifying the myth that ICT is a male dominated field and in so doing encourage more female…

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Africa’s mobile money platform Mpesa expands to Europe

Editor’s note: Tomorrow Transformed explores innovative approaches and opportunities available in business and society through technology. (CNN) — Snapchat may be the latest application with a new mobilepayment feature launched this week, but the idea that made Snapcash possible was spawned more than seven years ago in Africa. When M-Pesa came on the scene in 2007 — a money transfer system devised by Vodafone and Kenya-based Safaricom – it sparked a mini-revolution. With the touch of a button, relatives in Nairobi could transfer cash instantly to their remote up-country families…

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