Group of Senegalese Women Found Tech Hub for Women
A woman in Senegal has taken on the task of providing IT jobs solely for women, in an industry where less than 30 percent of workers internationally are women.
It's the first of its kind and helps create a demand for more female presence in IT, where only 14 percent hold positions as of 2009 -- less than half the international average, according to BBC.
Coudy Binta De, 24, and three other Senegalese women set up a five-room office in a suburb near Dakar, the country's capital, which will be a hub for tech learning and entrepreneurial ideas.
It has been named Jjiguene Tech Hub, which is fitting since Jjiguene is the word for woman in the widely spoken Wolof language in the country.
"We want to be a role model for girls and for women in tech. They think it's just for men," said 26-year-old Awa Caba, a co-founder of the hub, and a specialist app designer, according to BBC. Most of the women are in their 20s.
The business speaks volumes about the success of the IT industry in Senegal, in comparison to other African nations, in addition to being run by women -- even though a few men are there as well.
The BBC cited a 2013 study by the McKinsey Global Institute think tank, which revealed that Senegal had the highest percentage of internet-facilitated business contributing to their GDP, at 3.3 percent, in comparison to second-place Kenya at 2.9 percent.
One of the youngest at the hub, an 18-year old, said she initially wanted to go to college but has instead joined the hub and has learned coding.
"Initially I wasn't excited about it, but I changed my mind because I realised that technology is very, very interesting, particularly for girls," Kate Manon Sio told BBC. "Before, I didn't have the opportunity to talk with girls and women involved in this field. Even though I use technology and a computer, I thought it was for men."
One of the men who has come on board to support the women said he thinks women are more serious about the work.
Ismayla Ba, 58, whose IT company Oasis Media Group provided the initial outside financial support for the center, said, "I wanted to support these young women and their project. It's important. And why not work together? They really need to be encouraged. I think in general women are much more serious and rigorous than men when it comes to work -- in many domains, not just in technology."
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