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LG Electronics launch "Insider Community", empower tech enthusiasts
LG Electronics, dealers in electrical appliances, have launched the “LG Insider Community” meant to bring together their loyal customers to encourage them to participate actively in the company’s future events.
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The company, in partnership with Women in Technology Association, launched the community which was also meant to team up with members to undertake various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives nationwide.
The event was on the theme “Technology and Innovation” and it was centred around discussions the support needed to ensure the growth of women in the technology space.
With a similar community launched in Lagos last year, management of LG Electronics decided to launch the Ghana version with plans to further spread it to other West African countries later this year.
Embracing technology
The President of Women in Technology, Telecel, Juliana Ametorwogo expressed worry over the low percentage of women in the technology space.
Focusing primarily on embracing technology and driving diversity in innovation, she said technology played a vital role in shaping economies and had the power to improve life and further encouraged participants, especially the women to use technology to develop innovative ideas.
“I would like us to remember the importance of diversity and inclusion in driving innovation. Technology has so much benefits to us even as women as it allows us to live and manage our lifestyles as mothers, as career women and as wives,” she said.
“The data for women in technology is just around 26 per cent and I think we need to empower women to take calculated risks. We should be resilient as women and not be afraid to fail.”
STEM education
She also wondered why a lot of young girls shy away from taking courses in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with the excuse that it was difficult.
“A lot of the young girls in schools are shying away from Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses because to them, it is difficult so they will rather do the easy courses.”
“You will realise that even some women in technology find themselves in confined offices behind their laptops doing the soft part of engineering. It is only the very daring women that you will find on the field doing the hard part of engineering.”
“Women usually would use technology for its fashion ability and social needs or solve some of their daily problems but the phones we have in our hands have so many apps on them that can make our lives easier,” she said.
Community projects
Head of Digital, LG Electronics, Doris Onwuaaba said since the initiative started in Lagos, her outfit together with members of the community have embarked on a series of meaningful projects in various towns in Nigeria adding they intended to do similar projects with the Ghanaian community.
“The major content or key word for us is collaboration for a better life so we intend to utilize members in the LG Insider Community to also give back to society and help us do more as a brand in this country,” she said.
On the choice of theme for the event, she said “We were looking at the theme for International Women’s Day for this year which is “Inspire Inclusion” and we have seen that a lot of women are reluctant in joining the tech space because it is supposedly hard so what this was about is to show them that they can do it and do so many things that they put their minds to. Technology is one very big growing industry so that is why we decided to collaborate with women in Tech to undertake this event.”
Panel discussion
The event ended with a panel discussion on topics as such as impediments in women pursuing vocation in technology, encouraging girls and women to pursue courses in and venture into science and technology as well as looking into the future to ensure that women are not left behind in the technology and innovation space.
The panelists including the Board Chair of Alliance for African Women Initiative (AFAWI), Dr Felicia S Odame, Partnership Business Development Manager of Ideypay Ghana, Abigail Odonkor, Technology entrepreneur and consultant, Winifred Kotin and Data Analyst, Yvonne Nyanu shared insights into various aspects of technology and innovation.