Kisii — Sarah Moraa who recently graduated from a free computer course sponsored by the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) says equipping herself with digital skills has enabled her to make a living and educate her son.
The mother of one is among the 165 women who graduated with a computer study certificate, and is now utilizing the skills learned to make a living.
After completing her high school studies in 2012, Moraa's parents had no money to get her through college level. This is when she decided to sell second-hand clothes at the Daraja Mbili market to earn a living and also educate her younger siblings.
This year the office of the NGAAF made a call for women and girls to register for a free computer course and Moraa made an application to study for a computer skills course for two months and get a certificate.
"For the two months I could wake up every morning, go for classes from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and thereafter proceed to the marketplace to continue with my business," says Moraa.
After graduating Moraa got a small shop near her Mwembe estate where she lives, and set up a cybercafe with six desktops and employed one person.
Besides the cybercafe, she has moved her second-hand clothing business to an online platform and she is now using her social media accounts to display and advertise for marketing
"During the course, our tutor challenged us to move our business online and make use of our social media platforms, I took in the challenge, I started taking photos of my product, displaying them, attaching my location and my contact," says Moraa
She says the skills learned have enabled her to conduct herself safely while using digital technology and also learn on what's right and wrong when trading online.
Like Moraa, 23-year-old Phanice Nyaboke also completed the computer course and has since ventured into online jobs in global communities with multiple earning options from different websites as a side hustle.
Nyaboke has mastered the art of making extra cash online through paid surveys, cash offers, and referrals remotely.
"As of now I am doing data entry, information processing, web-based research, web-based communication, virtual chat, and word processing for international clients who pay me," says Nyaboke.
Moraa and Nyaboke now join a paltry 17 percent of the ICT managers, and 9 percent of ICT developers who are women, according to a recent study by the European Union.
The UNDP report indicates women, especially from developing countries, face continues challenges in accessing and making use of digital technologies. The rate at which girls and young women are learning to code and programming continue to trail those of boys and men.
Globally, women make up only 30 percent of the STEM workforce and are less likely than men to have an education in science and tech-related fields
Officers from Computer Force Kenya which is partnering with the office of the women's representative say they have tutored and overseen 165 grandaunts. The organization believes in bridging the digital gap across the country through infrastructure and capacity building.
Kisii County Women Representative Dorice Aburi says she initiated this project because digital technologies, tools, and platforms are meaningful when they are used to enhance humanity and therefore digital literacy and access are a basic right.
Aburi noted, in the twenty-first century; without digital tools and literacy it is increasingly difficult for Women and Girls to participate in civic and economic spaces.
During Covid19, stay-at-home orders resulted in a digital divide, and gaps in educational opportunity and outcomes between and within nations were heightened. For instance, even before COVID-19, the technology sector was already the world's fastest-growing sector, in part spurred by the digital revolution.
The women representative says the ICT implications strategies and policies implementation programs give priority to girls in ICT.
"I encourage young girls and women to take career and female representation in programs designed to encourage them to learn tech skills and, further, within formalized career paths where those skills are applicable," says Aburi.
Dorice says there is a need to start early to break the stereotypes related to gender and tech and encourage stakeholders figures to support girls to pursue education in technology.
A need to build on hiring practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion, while also creating flexible and supportive working environments that allow women within tech to thrive.
The Kisii County Information and Communication Technology officer, Vincent Kibet says the digital gap can be seen in terms of access to computers, the internet, and other digital devices, and in terms of the ability to use these technologies effectively.
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"The digital divide is a major barrier to gender equality. Women are less likely than men to have access to digital technologies, and they are also less likely to use these technologies effectively," says Kibet.
Kibet observes that reduced opportunities for education and employment, increased vulnerability to violence and abuse, and limited access to information and resources are among the main challenges women face in the digital world.
"Providing women with access to computers and the internet, offering training on how to use digital technologies, addressing the social and cultural barriers that prevent women from using digital technologies," says Kibet.
Bridging the digital divide is essential for achieving gender equality. By giving women access to digital technologies, we can help them to improve their lives and to participate more fully in society.
Kisii County Director for gender youth and social services Douglas Arege says Digital gaps in Africa have impacted the access for girls and women compared to men.
