Prioritise networking to build career in Tech ''Young women urged''
Female Technology practitioners at a tech summit have urged young women who want to venture into the tech industry to prioritise networking and mentorship in building their careers.
They explained that the right network system would enhance their capacities and make them competitive on the international front with regard to technology.
They further urged them to take immediate action to venture into the space to empower themselves and inspire the next generation of women in tech.
The speakers also urged them to take up online and in-person certification courses, as well as learn tutorials on the internet, as a first step in venturing into the tech space.
Women in Tech Summit
The speakers, a Backend Developer, Jacqueline Abban Botchwey; a Scrum Master at AmaliTech Ghana, Ewurabena Amoa-Bosompem; Anita Twumasi-Ankrah, Farida Baberin-Yor Beacher, Lois Young and Tracy Afram-Owusu, are tech professionals
They were speaking during a Women in Tech summit organised by AmaliTech Ghana, an IT Training and Service company on Saturday, July 15, this year.
The summit was aimed at increasing the number of women in tech, changing perceptions of IT being male-dominated and empowering young women so they can have a tech career.
Attended by senior high school (SHS) graduates and tertiary students, the summit was also to expose university students to job opportunities in the tech space.
Continuous learning
A Tech Enthusiast and Women’s Inclusion advocate, Lily Dzamesi, who was the guest speaker, encouraged young women to embrace continuous learning following the evolving nature of the tech industry.
To that, she admonished them to be assertive about their skills while building a strong and supportive network system.
“Build your technical skills so you can call out bias in the sector when treated unfairly.
Build your skills so you are not just added to the numbers but seen as a competitor in the tech space.
“Enhance your capability in such a way that if companies need software developers or cyber security analysts, you can represent as one,” she stressed.
Progress made
Ms Dzamesi, however, noted that progress had been made with regard to the increasing number of women in the tech industry globally, citing 28 per cent.
“You can pursue a tech career without having prior knowledge about it.
It is challenging, but you need the right mindset and determination to learn,” she urged.
She, however, called on the government and organisations to support young women with resources such as scholarships to take up tech courses, as well as opportunities to be able to thrive in the tech space.
Tech professionals
The Marketing Lead at AmaliTech Ghana, Yvonne Marian Yawson, said the tech space involved areas such as front and back-end development, cyber security, Information Technology, digital marketing and not just coding.
She said Amalitech was an all-inclusive organisation with the goal to increase women and persons with disability in the tech space.
She indicated that it was crucial to start empowering young girls at the basic level of education to build their digital literacy.
“Technology is evolving every day, therefore, if a person does not have any digital background, they will be lost in the job market.
“Africa is the hub for tech talents, we must, therefore, train ourselves to be on a par with other tech players on the international front with regard to job opportunities,” he said.