Summary
This project aims to reduce the digital gender gap by providing tailored digital skills training for women and establishing links between them and job providers in the tech sector and supporting women-owned businesses to grow through the provision of digital training.
The project seeks to contribute to bridging the digital gender gap in employment aspirations, opportunities and outcomes in the Niger Delta by
- Increasing awareness of the existing digital gender divide and addressing the barriers imposed by cultural and social norms; empowering women with digital and soft skills, and supporting women-led businesses to develop knowledge on and enhance the use of digital skills and tools to grow their businesses;
- Supporting CSOs and similar initiatives in improving their capacity to advocate for increased digital literacy for women;
- Fostering evidence-based gender related policy changes and collaboration between CSOs, the public and private sector to address the digital gender divide by increasing access to digital literacy and skills programmes for women,
- Ensure women can equally access digital support services,
- Tech companies and telecommunications have gender policies that encourage women to apply for open positions.
Aims
This project aims to reduce the digital gender gap by providing tailored digital skills training for women and establishing links between them and job providers in the tech sector and supporting women-owned businesses to grow through the provision of digital training.
Context
Nigeria’s digital economy has experienced unprecedented growth (in 2020 the ICT sector grew by 12.9 per cent) in the past decade but has a low participation of women. This digital divide is worse for vulnerable women (less educated, poor and rural-based).A baseline survey conducted by the Ken Saro-Wiwa Innovation Hub to assess women’s perception of technology, shows that over 60 % of the respondents (urban women) did not participate in the digital economy.The Niger Delta has some of the highest rates of unemployment in Nigeria (often soaring above 40 percent) and these are higher for women. Women tend to work in sectors that are less productive and more precarious, and earn lower wages; men earn 25% more than women. A recent World bank report states that 82.1 percent of Nigeria’s female labour force tend to be in the informal sector, and for enterprising women, their businesses are mostly small-scale or home-based due to social and cultural norms that assign a bulk of housework/childcare responsibilities to women. Also, women have lower educational attainment and lower access to critical skills such as digital skills that are often a prerequisite for many employers or are useful to support their business growth. This argument was highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased opportunities in the digital economy by making remote work and e-marketing more prevalent and highlighting how important digital adoption is to one’s business growth and employment.
According to these research, women were and still are at a disadvantage since they are less equipped to gain from the digital economy. The gender digital divide must therefore be addressed urgently.
Funders and Partners
