As part of its continuous commitment to bridging the gender gap in technology, Intel’s spokesperson in Nigeria, Titilope Sonuga, paid a visit to Echoes of Mercy and Hope Foundation (EMHF) Girl’s Home to speak to the girls about Intel’s ““She Will Connect”” initiative, which is the global effort at empowering girls through technology.
While speaking to the girls at the EMHF home, Sonuga said that it was important to have an understanding of the several life transforming opportunities the Internet has made available to them.
She added, “The future would depend on technology even more, and it is important to equip girls and women so they can compete in an already competitive world. It is now possible to get as much education online, as there is free access to resource materials. There is a whole new world on the Internet, and it can enhance creativity, build platforms that create and even secure employment. There is also a plethora of information and networking outside your environment.”
Speaking in the same vein, the program officer of Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN) Olamide Ogungbemi explained that, “It is important to understand that the whole new world on the internet is one that must be accessed for a new life to begin. Knowing that teenage years come with big dreams, Intel has collaborated with several partners to make sure that your dreams as a girl, find a place to grow, and become employed to reach newer heights. We are living in a time when technology is transforming billion lives, and girls and women should not be left behind.”
The world’s leader in silicon innovation, Intel started ““She Will Connect”” initiative as a way of empowering 5 million girls in the next five years, in its effort to close the gender gap in technology.
The Intel “She Will Connect” Program aims to reduce the gender gap all over the world through collaborations that would bring about an innovative combination of digital literacy training, an online peer network, and gender relevant content.
According to a report based on a collaborative study Intel had with some major agencies, there are fewer women than men online in developing countries, with the data placing the percentage of the women at 25 per cent.
The study which was commissioned by Intel on “Women and the Web” in consultation with the United States State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, United Nations Women and World Pulse, a global network for women, revealed a representation of 200 million fewer women than men who are online today.
The report stated that the size of the gap is about 45 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, which is the largest across all the regions of the study and that, bringing more women online also has potential significant economic benefits with an estimated USD 13 to USD 18 billion to annual GDP across 144 developing countries.
Following this successful visit to the EMHF home, Intel, through the “She Will Connect” initiative, and in collaboration with WITIN, will sponsor the technology training of the residents at the home.
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