The Council of Governors Chairperson, Anne Waiguru has lauded women for breaking barriers and excelling in technology.

Speaking during the International Women’s Day celebrations held at Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) today, Waiguru said that the national skyline is “brighter with more colourful minds of women as CEOs, in boardrooms, Chairpersons, Chief, Governors and Legislators.”

She said that the number of women in tech world is rising by the day affirming that technology has provided immense opportunities for everyone in the digital era by allowing people to communicate more efficiently, access government services, carry on e-commerce and find new pathways for entrepreneurial empowerment.

She pointed out that innovation and digital transformation including the presence of internet and smartphones has provided an avenue for women and girls to access opportunities in education, careers and information on issues such as health.

President William Ruto was the chief guest at the event whose theme was DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for gender equality.

Waiguru thanked the president for his relentless efforts in upholding and promoting women’s rights in the country noting that his participation in marking the day is a clear demonstration of his commitment towards advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

She said that COG was committed towards advancing inclusive innovation and technology through projects and programs that employ technologies that enhance service delivery and production, noting that some counties have established localized County Innovation Weeks where innovations developed by women, youth and people with disabilities are showcased. 

At the same time, she added, county governments allocated Ksh. 35.5 billion in their previous budgets to support agricultural development that is mainly dominated by small holder farmers many of who are women. She cited Wezesha Kirinyaga program which focuses on increasing profits from farm produce by leveraging on innovations and technologies such as digitized extension services, aggregation, agro-processing and export-oriented value addition, through cooperatives. 

She said that counties have also made considerable progress in advancing technology within the agricultural sector through facilitating access to credit and extension services, provision of improved inputs and modern production practices, such as hybrid seeds, concentrated feeds and fertilizer, pesticides, machinery, and irrigation. 

“County Governments have driven education reforms by offering digital learning opportunities as per the new competency-based curriculum by ensuring digital integration to learning. Moreover, Counties continue to support mentorship for girls in Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) in a bid to encourage their uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses and careers.” Said the COG Chair. 

She called for urgent measures to address the digital divide that exists in many communities to ensure that everyone, regardless of their gender or socioeconomic status, has access to affordable and reliable internet connectivity. 

There is need to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas so that everyone can benefit from the latest advances in technology. Inclusive innovation and technology also means designing technology and systems that are gender-responsive,” she said. 

Governor Waiguru however said that despite the progress made in legislation and policy formulation, gender inequality particularly in innovation continues to persist. 

“As a woman, I know first-hand the challenges that women face in accessing and participating meaningfully in technology and innovation. We are often underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), face systemic barriers in accessing funding and resources, and are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of technology,” she emphasized.   

She added that the exorbitant internet costs and the wage gap in this field that is still largely male-dominated are some of the challenges still impeding women from fully participating and benefitting in technology and which needs to be addressed by both levels of Government. 

The celebrations were also attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action Aisha Jumwa, other senior government officials and development partners among others.