The race to digitisation isn't gender-neutral - It must be gender-intentional

FOR those who don’t know and understand the continent, it’s easy to fall into the ‘Africa as a country’ trap. Yet, if there's one place in the world where a one-size-fits-all approach is sure to fail, it’s Africa.

- SANDY RHEEDER

On a continent of contrasts, success comes from understanding that every country, community, and individual has unique social, cultural, and economic contexts and frameworks. Drilling down even further will expose another truth.

Africa's women are taking their rightful place, no longer limited by gender stereotypes and societal norms. All they need are the tools to enable and empower them.

So, how does this translate into supporting women on Africa's digital transformation journey?

The World Bank reports that women in lowand middle-income countries are 15% less likely than men to use mobile internet, meaning that a significant portion of this demographic doesn't have access to the benefits of digital innovations. With the right approach, this is where opportunity lies.

When people talk about the digital revolution in Africa, it’s often in universal terms as if digitisation happens to all of us in the same way, at the same pace, and with the same effect. But anyone who’ spent time in Africa’s diverse communities, or even many of its corporate boardrooms, knows that’s not how it works, particularly when it comes to the digital banking solutions used by women.

Addressing inequalities with gender-intentional digitisation

Digitisation isn’t - and can't be - gender-neutral. Modern technology solutions need to be deliberately designed to reflect and serve the realities of both women and men. In fact, without gender-intentional digitisation, we risk reinforcing the very inequalities we're trying to address.