September Bhela: Celebrating Women in Tech

The September Bhela was dedicated to Celebrating Women in Tech, bringing together community members to reflect on women’s contributions, the challenges they face, and practical ways to strengthen support for women working in the tech space. 

Discussions highlighted the stark gender gap in digital access: 885 million women in low- and middle-income countries do not use mobile internet, limiting their ability to learn, train, and participate in the digital economy. Even where women pursue STEM education, the numbers fall sharply when moving into the workforce - in sub-Saharan Africa, 47% of STEM graduates are women, but only 30% of tech jobs are held by women. Women are particularly underrepresented in the areas of coding, cloud computing and AI, as well as in leadership. 

Participants stressed the qualities women bring to the sector – resilience, empathy, technical excellence, inclusiveness, and attention to detail – but also the barriers that too often hold them back, from gender stereotypes and lack of representation to financing constraints and limited opportunities. 

Partners like AeHIN and KeHIA shared examples of initiatives opening doors for women, including mentorship schemes, buddy systems, and grassroots programmes inspiring girls and young women to consider careers in tech. The brainstorming session added further ideas, from giving visibility to local initiatives to showcasing women’s contributions in digital health and creating forums for cross-country peer support. 

The meeting underscored the strong momentum within the openIMIS community to build a more inclusive and resilient tech sector. openIMIS will continue working with partners to amplify women’s voices and contributions in digital health and social protection. 

Click here for the accompanying LinkedIn post!