Oracle Academy is committed to empowering young women by offering digital skills content in current and emerging technologies. We support educators in improving their students’ skills, knowledge and innovation, to put girls on the right path to technology careers and help them gain career-ready skills.
The UN theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” This year Oracle Academy partnered with its member institution, Riara University, to recognize and celebrate the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. A total of 64 students and faculty from Riara University, Technical University of Kenya, and Africa Leadership University attended the event.
The panel session explored the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities and spotlighted the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces.
“We aim to see more girls take up roles as data analysts, database administrators, and software engineers. With free curriculum, free developer tools and free Oracle Academy Cloud Program, Oracle Academy makes this dream possible for every young female student,” said Lorna Juma, Oracle Academy Program Manager.
A number of activities were planned to commemorate the event, including discussions on the International Women’s Organization theme #EmbraceEquity and a panel discussion with faculty from Riara University and Senior Oracle Women Leaders.
The following topics were discussed:
- How all parties involved can improve access to digital technologies.
- Programs that Oracle Academy has put in place to promote STEM education among women and girls with career development support.
- Increasing female participation in the technology sector.
- Career advice for young ladies who are interested in pursuing careers in tech-based organizations and businesses.
- Oracle Academy’s contribution to the advancement of young women’s technology education.
Lorna Misoi, Oracle Cloud Platform Senior Account Manager, Public Sector, Kenya, highlighted that the disparity in women’s representation in the information technology industry calls for emphasis on inclusion and equity. Women, especially African women, in tech should be celebrated every single day simply because breaking the barriers of success in IT in Africa begins with the pursuit of a STEM degree, navigating promotions in the workplace, to finding equity in salaries distribution and overall work compensation.
Riara University faculty at the School of Computing Sciences, Dr. Esther Gachanga and Ms. Florence Kimani, advised the students to be proactive in pursuing opportunities availed to them by partners like Oracle Academy. They advised that by “giving your best effort now, you’ll be in the greatest possible position for the next moment.”
Christine Ambetsa, Commercial Sales Director, Technology, advised the participants to be bold, step out of their comfort zones, and take risks to live the lives they dream about. She added that women can offer a different viewpoint and a fresh approach to meet challenges, resolve issues, and design new products. They also can encourage more women to pursue careers in technology, and since this industry frequently presents opportunities for better work environments, their presence there can help close the sector’s general gender pay gap.
Happy International Women’s Day to all the women who have and are continuously breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders.
Links to publication:
https://thetimes.co.ke/2023/03/16/women-participation-in-technology-still-low-say-stakeholders/