Women in Tech – An African Perspective
Webinar:
December 12, 2013
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Today’s
Co-Host & Speakers
Lisa Obradovich
Global Programs
Manager
NetHope
(Milwaukee, USA)
Nomsa Muswai Mwayenga
Network Engineer
(Zimbabwe)
Unoma Okorafor
Ph.D. Computer Engineering
Founder, WAAW Foundation
2013 Anita Borg Change
Agent
(Nigeria)
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How WTC Works
Mentors:
Protégés:
Corp IT Women,
NGO Women IT Pros,
Expat Technical Women
Retired Women IT Execs
NHAcademy
Interns/Grads
NGO IT women pros,
College Age Vo-Tech
women in dev. world
Phase 1
Phase 2
Global Online Community,
Mentor/Mentee Matching,
Professional Development,
Confidence Building,
Career Guidance/Growth
In-Country Female Fellows,
WTC Graduate Leaders,
In-country Community Leaders
Next Gen Role Models,
High-School/VoTech Lecturers
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2013 - Year In Review

198 mentoring program participants from 43 countries working at 80+
organizations!

Webinar Topics
 Mentor/ Protégée Best Practices
 How to Map Your Plan for Success and STAY
 Your Leading Presence
 Demystifying Implementation Strategies
 Teach the Web – How to get young girls and women interested in IT
 3 Ps of Power – Position, Performance, People
 Women in Technology – An African Perspective

Participants felt connected, inspired, more educated, happy to give
back to young women starting their careers!
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2014 – Get Inspired
Want to feel inspired? To learn? To get involved?
Communities & Programs

Anita Borg Institute (ABI)

Lean In

Hour of Code - http://csedweek.org

Grace Hopper Celebration
Articles

Amazing Women honored by ABI for Leadership, Social Impact,
and Education (Including today’s presenter, Dr. Unoma
Okorafor!)

Most Powerful Women in Tech, 2013

30 Important Women Under 30

10 Women to Watch in Tech
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Getting Started
 You are surrounded by a community of women
(even if you can’t hear them speaking on this
call) that want to hear from you and learn from
you today!
 Please try to actively participate in today’s
session… You will find that the more you put in,
the more you will get out.
 Questions – post your question in the chat
window any time during the presentation.
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INTRODUCTION
&
BACKGROUND
NETWORK ENGINEER
FOUNDING MEMBER, TRUSTEE & SECRETARY– ISOC
ZIMBABWE CHAPTER www.isoc.org.zw
BSC COMPUTER SCIENCE - UNISA
CCNA, CCNP
USTTI SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT -2011
IETF FELLOW – 2012
http://www.internetsociety.org/articles/differentexperiences-common-goal-isoc-fellows-ietf-84
AFFILIATIONS
AFCHIX , ABI , NETHOPE, DIPLO FOUNDATION
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My Story
• My journey
• My family background
• The challenges I faced
and how I overcame
them
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So why did I choose IT ?
The employment
environment in
Zimbabwe
The reason why I am
an IT professional
My interest in
IT…The Internet!!
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Zimbabwean
Women in Tech
CHALLENGES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Skills deficit
The profession is “meant” for men
Associated with being weaker
Failure is overstated
You cant be a typical lady
Underestimated
No mentors
ADVANTAGES
•
•
•
•
Courage and bravery
Inspiration to other women
Opportunity of empower communities
Success makes you stand out even more
HOW TO ENGANGE MORE
WOMEN
1)MORE SKILLS!!!!!!
2)MORE MENTORS
2)MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES
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Mentorship
How vital is mentorship and are mentors
Readily available to you??
My Mentor
• How we met
• Why mentors are
important
My Mentees
• How I mentor them
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LET’S DO IT
LADIES !!!
Stay relevant
Be yourself
Get qualified
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WORK /LIFE BALANCE
WORK + FAMILY + GENERAL LIFE
T – Is it true
H – Is it helpful
I – Is it inspiring
N - Is it necessary
K – is it kind
FAMILY
• HOW MARRIAGE CHANGES MOST THINGS
• PREGNANCY
• RAISING A CHILD AS A WORKING WIFE
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CLOSING REMARKS
WHY IT MATTERS
 BECAUSE IT CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!
 BECAUSE WE ARE PAVING WAY FOR THE FUTURE GENERATION
MY ADVISE
 When not sure about your career choice
 When skills are not accessibly from your country or region
ANY QUESTIONS / COMMENTS ??
My Brief Story
Unoma Okorafor
Ph.D. in Computer Engineering
Founder, WAAW Foundation
2013 Anita Borg Change Agent
1. Grew up in small University town in
Nigeria – Father was a Professor,
mother was a high school principal.
2.First experience in college in Nigeria
with expectation for “girls to be seen
and not heard”
3. Privileged to have support of family
to study STEM and Engineering.
Brother as role model.
4. Arrived in the USA on a scholarship
for Masters – realized my education
was hugely inadequate (obsolete
textbooks, rote learning, lack of
innovation). Questioning how to
overcome my limitations….
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The Power of Mentors
Mentors are key!
1. Mentors have been key for me. Link to
resources like scholarships, networks, etc
HOD, Classmates, professors, friends, coworkers, Company CEO, Men or Women –
Don’t be Afraid to engage and let people
know what you want!
2. Networks for women in Tech is so crucial
because it gets lonely. Share experiences
(work-life balance), build a bond. Women
thrive in communities.
3. Experience in both worlds, always think
about how much impact this can have in
Africa. How to mentor others.
4. First experience being called a mentor was
humbling. Wherever you are, you too can
mentor someone
Q. How many people have had mentors or
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mentored others? How did it start out?
The Power of Technology
& Women
Technology and Women!
1. Did u know.. 80% of jobs in next 10 years will
require STEM Skill. How are we preparing?
2. Technology is not just the hip thing to do. It
enables change, helping us do things better. (e.g.
cell phones, online learning, banking, e-health or
how we work from home.. Heck this webinar!)
3. Women are huge consumers and should be
engaged in all aspects of creating, implementing &
evaluating technology.
5. Women are custodians of education, ripple
effects impacts their children & community.
4. Technology is moving so fast. How do we
engage?
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Our Mission
Founded in 2007, while a Ph.D. student with
stipend. Motivated by desire to help others
like me, because of personal experience.
Change the face of Africa to the world - Tired
of seeing Africa as a taker not a giver.
“Made in Africa” rather than “aid to Africa”18
We believe: that education is the key to alleviate poverty, girls are
the most powerful force to effect lasting change and that technology
is one of the most powerful tools to bring about economic growth in
Africa.
Our Vision: Use Technology and Women to eradicate poverty in Africa.
Engage with girls at a young age where they are making career decisions.
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We hear “Math is hard”, “Its not relevant” and “When I see an
invention, I think a genius created that… now I can create too”
Expose options and provide opportunity to explore innovation
Challenges we encounter:Self Esteem, Pre-conceived ideas about girls in STEM (No marriage, etc)
Lack of support from family and community (Why do such a difficult course)
Poverty leading to early marriage, economic or sexual exploitation, ect
Lack of role models and peer support communities
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11-17years
OUR PROGRAMS
STEM CAMP
FOR
SECONDARY
GIRLS
1 . Robotics Camps
2. Scholarships
3. College-to-Secondary
Mentoring
18-32years
COLLEGE-2SECONDARY
STEM
OUTREACH
College & professional women
COLLEGE
SCHOLARSHIP
Define STEM – Science,
Technology, Engineering &
Math
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STEM Camp for
Secondary Girls
Tenet #1: Employ locally available resources to teach STEM and demonstrate that solutions
to problems in our communities exist within and around us.
Immerse pubic school girls in intense hands on STEM learning – Robotics and Renewable
Energy residential camp launched this year. Try not to import expensive technology toys
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where possible. Girls empowered to see themselves as leaders
$500 Scholarships for
College Girls in STEM
Tenet #2: Africans are the ones to solve Africa’s challenges.
We support need based girls in Africa to do just that and
require scholars to become fellows who mentor younger secondary girls!
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College-to-Secondary
Mentoring Program
Tenet #3: Build an ever increasing pipeline. Help someone BUT teach them to turn around
and help others coming behind to be sustainable. Have 6 Cells in 5 African countries Ghana
(Kenya(2) , Malawi, South Africa, & Nigeria) – Cell is self organizing 9 – 15 STEM college girls
that partner with 3 – 5 secondary schools, monthly outreach into classrooms. WAAW
provides curriculum, training, tools and small stipend to cover transport etc
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Question?
Has anyone done Primary or Secondary outreach?
What kinds of things make a difference?
While in school or after school, what are your ideas of how to stay involved in
mentoring and outreach? Please share on the chatboard.
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SCHOLARSHIP
All Sub Saharan Africa
9 Scholarships since
2007
WHERE WE WORK
& OUR IMPACT SO FAR
STEM OUTREACH:
Currently in 5 African
countries, looking to
expand into more.
Over 4000 youth
impacted since 2013
STEM CAMP
Nigeria
Over 30 girls impacted
Launched In 2013
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African Women in
Technology
(Work in Progress)
• Just launched platform at www.africantechwomen.org
• Professional women in government, industry and
government and college students.
• Platform where African women in technology are
recognized and celebrated, personal stories are told.
• Build community and networks for support
• Provide access to mentors and role models.
• Provide a strong voice for African Women in Tech.
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A PERSONAL MESSAGE Very exciting work going on around the globe. NetHope
academy, internship program and partnerships.
Each of us can make a difference in our communities with
what we have and where we are!
- My story is proof! Anyone can make a difference!
- All those girls in STEM outreach all over Africa are going it.
- Start seeing yourself as a mentor and game changer.
-
Why Am I Angry? Passionate?
- Its ok to be angry if it motivates you to action.
-
-
“Well behaved women rarely make History”.
Thank you to Lisa and Net Hope for this awesome
opportunity! Please connect with me on linkedin and send
me questions if you have them or just for the heck of it!
-
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TO LEARN MORE
Mentors:
Corp IT Women,
NGO Women IT Pros,
Expat Technical Women
Retired Women IT Execs
What you can do
How to Contact us
Engage with us on facebook
Tell others about our work
Volunteer to train or mentor or teach
Give if you can.
www.waawfoundation.org
Facebook.com/waawfoundation
Googleplus.com/
Twitter.com/waaw_foundation
800 820 4829
Watch this video…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHI6mx3826g&feature=youtu.be
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Any Questions?
Comments?
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Wrap-Up/
Next Steps
Identify:
• 3 Key Learnings from today’s Webinar for you
• 1 Action you can take in the next 24 hours towards forwarding your
career planning
• Use the Mentor Program Resource Hub – It’s open to EVERYONE
• www.womenstechconnect.org
Participate:
• Join our “NetHope Women’s TechConnect” LinkedIn Group
• Post questions and additional insights in our Linked In Discussion
Forum immediately!
Discuss & Grow: share your learnings with your mentoring match or a
professional contact who you trust
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Thank You for Coming!
Women’s TechConnect is YOUR community
• Host or participate in a future webinar
• Contact us to be a speaker for our upcoming webinar
featuring WTC Mentoring pairs
• Share webinar topic ideas
• Participate in LinkedIn Discussion Groups
• Share Templates or White Papers for our WTC Resource Hub
• Become a Mentor
• Become a Protégée
Questions? Comments? Need support? Reach us at
wtcsupport@nethope.org
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