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Project November 17, 2017

Women Face Challenges in Africa's Emerging Tech Sector

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Two students at the Moringa School based in Nairobi work on developing their coding skills. Image by Janelle Richards. Kenya, 2017.
Two students at the Moringa School based in Nairobi work on developing their coding skills. Image by Janelle Richards. Kenya, 2017.

Kenya is on a fast-track to becoming a leader of the technology industry in Africa over the next decade. This project examines the role women play and the challenges they face in this burgeoning sector.

Kenya has a growing economy and the government is looking to expand its "Silicon Savannah." Nairobi has coding and digischools for children—a way to expose Kenyan youth to technology at an early age. According to a 2017 African Economic Outlook, about 80 percent of Africans view entrepreneurship as a good career opportunity. As the industry grows and changes, what role will women play in the future of technology in Kenya?

This project examines women working in the tech sector who have struggled to advance because of societal and cultural expectations. Yet some have persevered and built successful careers and start-ups that they are determined to grow. We will hear from these women about their hopes for the future—and the opportunities that might open up—as major global investment spurs a further expansion of technology in Kenya.

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