Read: Statistics of Initiatives Motivating Women Into Tech Careers In Nigeria

The paucity of women in technology and leadership roles is easily traceable to social and economic barriers.

Cultural beliefs still entrenched in underserved communities across Africa means the female child is less likely to get an education than males. There are still limiting beliefs about what career is for the female gender and which one is not.

Across Africa, a number of initiatives have sprung up to get more girls and women into technology careers.

In Nigeria, there are no less than 39 initiatives targeted at getting more girls and women into technology, according to research conducted by TechCabal. They provide training opportunities and mentorship to young women across Nigeria. GirlsCodeNigeria, an initiative founded in 2015 by Omobolanle Osho, has trained over 1,200 girls. Osho depends on a mixture of self-funding and external funding to train the girls.

Infograph by TechCabal

In 2018, Abisoye Akinfolarin, founder of the Pearls Africa Foundation, another initiative aimed at training girl coders, was nominated as one of the top 10 finalists for the CNN Hero awards. Akinfolarin’s initiative has trained at least 400 girls since it launched in 2012.

While we are seeing more girls and women enter technology, more needs to be done to increase the number. One way this can happen is if corporate organizations and governments can also contribute by funding these initiatives aimed at getting more girls into technology.

Over 40% of the initiatives TechCabal surveyed are entirely funded by their founders. With better funding, more women can be trained and supported in technology careers.