The EVE Program continues its international expansion by launching the first edition of EVE Africa in Dakar, which will be held from 12 to 14 December 2017.
Ahead of this seminar dedicated to balanced leadership development, the webmagazine reviews the major diversity issues faced by a continent with huge potential for the future.
A network of women entrepreneurs with promising prospects
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 27% of entrepreneurs are women (GEM – 2015). And they are everywhere: from crafts to tech, through to industry, communication and finance. These entrepreneurial and daring women who are active across the continent hold extraordinary potential for African economic development. They also offer a whole range of new opportunities for the companies around the world which are committed to this development (starting with those EVE Program partners involved with EVE Africa). These women entrepreneurs are fantastic role models for an emerging generation of leaders, and are possible economic partners in the effort to enrich and energize an ecosystem that will create ever-increasing value.
Women in tech: the key to accelerating women’s empowerment and leadership in Africa
Although African women are already well integrated into the economy, gender diversity in several areas of the continent is facing the connectivity gap challenge, which translates as inequalities in access to the “digital landscape”. Some technological infrastructures are yet to arrive in rural areas, and women are also facing digital security issues. Indeed, while ICT (Information and Communications Technology) is an obvious lever to accelerate women’s empowerment throughout Africa, Anne-Pélagie Yotchou explains from her position as director of CEFAP (an organization that trains women in tech) that the digital world also brings new risks for women: cyber-harassment is a major concern in some areas, and access providers are having to be increasingly vigilant in how they protect users. (See our article on how Orange works to promote digital security for women in Africa).
Inclusion for women, economic prosperity and peace
The United Nations actively supports women’s leadership initiatives in Africa, through two related observations:
1/ Economic prosperity is key to lasting peace on the continent. And this prosperity is obviously impossible if half of the talents in Africa are cast aside (this also applies to the rest of the world).
2/ By virtue of resolution 1325 regarding women, peace and security which was adopted in 2000, and the inclusion of women in peace negotiation processes and post-conflict reconstruction, the United Nations intends – systematically and throughout the world – to place experienced women in positions where they can give a voice to support populations in general, and women in particular, and in doing so, the UN hopes to encourage many women to become leaders, accept positions of authority and take action.
Marie Donzel, for the EVE webmagazine. Translated into English by Ruth Simpson.
