Google pledges $25m for empowerment of African women, girls

To empower women and the girl child in Africa, Google.org has pledged to make $25 million available in form of grants through its new Global Impact Challenge (GIC).

The initiative was launched during the celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 9.

Like their counterparts elsewhere, African women are taking stock of progress and asking to what extent promised reforms have been implemented, as poverty ravages the continent and gender.

But the GIC for Women and Girls, which would provide the $25 million to non-profit and social enterprises to create prosperity for the targeted persons, followed initiatives like the 2019 Africa’s launch of Women Will and Google’s #IamRemarkable workshop series.

Country Director, Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan, said empowering women and girls on the continent to reach their full economic potential was now more critical, considering the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It confirms that the COVID-19 exacerbated already-existing gender inequalities, laying bare serious fault lines in safety, physical and mental health, education, domestic responsibilities, and employment opportunities”.

”Despite decades of work aimed at achieving gender equality, the disparity between men and women not only remains – it is growing alarmingly, largely thanks to the global pandemic,” the report warns

“The GIC for Women and Girls is focused on changing the status quo, job cuts, income losses and lack of education aren’t simply side-effects of the pandemic, but “will negatively impact the economic strides made by women and girls for many years to come”.

“As economies and societies rebuild, we need bold new ideas that will propel us forward. We can’t afford to go back to the way things were, and we certainly can’t do it alone.”

Applicants have till Friday, April 2, 2021, to submit their applications at g.co/womenandgirlschallenge.