ICT Chief Administrative Secretary Maureen Mbaka at a past press conference at the Kenya Film Commission offices in Nairobi.
Summary
- In 2016, the government launched Ajira Digital programme, which not only equips young men and women with digital skills.
- Programme is a joint initiative of ministries of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, Public Service and Gender; Education and Foreign Affairs.
- It provides a platform for youthful women to gain digital skills and access online jobs.
- Under the programme provides a platform for youthful women to gain digital skills and access online jobs.
Covid-19 has reshaped the future of work and for women to remain competitive in the job market beyond the pandemic, digital skills are a basic requirement.
A recent post-Covid-19 economic recovery strategic action plan, developed by Chatham House, warns that women, especially above 55, may not be re-hired in the new normal without digital skills.
Even so, the gender digital gap is wide.
Women are about 50 per cent less likely to be connected than men in the same age group with similar levels of education and household income, highlights World Wide Web Foundation’s 2015 global report on Women's Rights Online Translating Access into Empowerment.
In Kenya, only 20 per cent of women in Nairobi slums are connected to the Internet against 57 per cent of men, says the foundation in its measure of the country’s progress in ICT. It recommends the government to provide free or subsidised digital skills and empowerment training in all schools and communities.
Digitally enabled jobs
In 2016, the government launched Ajira Digital programme, which not only equips young men and women with digital skills, but also connects them to online and digitally enabled jobs.
The programme is a joint initiative of ministries of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, Public Service and Gender; Education and Foreign Affairs. Chief Administrative Secretary at the ICT ministry, Ms Maureen Mbaka says the programme provides a platform for youthful women to gain digital skills and access online jobs.
“Ajira Digital prepares young people for the changing future of work, characterised by the need to work with computer, the ability to work remotely and to continuously learn,” she said during an October 31, Huawei Technologies’ UniTech Talk, themed SHERO Power In Tech.
Two-day training
Under the programme, young men and women receive free two-day training and mentorship. To book space, one needs to log into ajiradigital.go.ke and register upon which they are notified of upcoming sessions and regions covered.
Ms Mbaka said Ajira empowerment centres established under the programme in sub-counties countrywide, provides computers and free internet.
“We are also creating awareness among employers to place their work online,” she said.
As at November 3, there were 5,053 local and 4,812, international job listings, including online jobs and digitally-enabled jobs.
Emerging trends
Huawei Technologies, Chief Strategist, Ms Eliz Liu said the ICT sector has revolutionised through generations and new opportunities continue to emerge for women to explore.
“The way we communicate has changed so much (it is not the same as it was) about 20 to 30 years (ago),” she said.
She said technology is in the emerging trends that women can create and find opportunities.
“Access to the internet is becoming the water, the food. It's a basic human right,” she said in reference to the need to explore growing opportunities in the ICT sector.
She encouraged girls to think globally when seeking for an ICT-related opportunity.
Tech skills
Head of Women in Technology at Safaricom, Ms Donna Rege Ondiege advised female ICT students and practitioners to go an extra mile in building their tech skills to break even in the industry.
“Let us not sit back and say, I will learn, I will get my degree or I’ll get my first class and believe it will open doors,” she said.
“You have to add some drive, some hard work and some initiative to make it,” she added.
Ms Beryl Anne Chepkemoi, a beneficiary of the Safaricom’s Women in Technology program proved the necessity of the self-drive to open opportunities for oneself.
Telco industry
The computer science graduate from Catholic University of Eastern Africa shared her testimony during the UniTech talk. She joined the telecommunication company in 2016, as a change manager intern.
“My urge of learning and curiosity of wanting to know how the telco industry works landed me an opportunity as Software Business Analyst for two years until 2018 (when she graduated),” she said.
As a software business analyst, she re-skilled on how to check quality of products offered by telcos. This effort led to her promotion to functional quality engineer, her current position at the firm.
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