Women in Technology: Standing Tall for Greatness

Women in Technology: Standing Tall for Greatness

by Adedayo Osho, January 22, 2020

On its part, the United Nations declared 1975 the International Women's Year and the years 1975 to 1985, the Women's Decade, as part of efforts to accelerate the advancement of women.

Countries across the globe are becoming to feel the inclination to record, recognize and promote women in technology having difficulty finding moral and financial backing at a time the field of technology is male-controlled.             

This gesture is spurred by the growing number of women who have made landmark technological innovations in recent time.

In an attempt to bridge gender imbalance in technology sector, donor agencies including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, USAID have enduring partnerships with key players in sponsoring conferences such as Women in Tech Africa, Women of Silicon Valley, and European Women in Technology to encourage women in tech in aiming for zenith heights.

Commendably, women are not in short supply in leadership positions in global leading tech companies. For instance, Lillian Barnard is Managing Director at Microsoft South Africa; Ocea Garriock is Solution Engineering Director for Technology at Oracle; Handri Prinsloo is Senior GIS Engineer at TomTom, to mention but few. 

In Eastern Europe, countries such as Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria possess a high percentage of women in technology. In Asia, Japan boasts that 13% of its tech industry workforce comprise of women. According to a 2018 research by Statista, women occupy 25% of leadership positions in US tech sector. This ranges from executive, senior-level and management positions. 

The vital contributions which women make to the economies of all human societies are very often unrewarded, undocumented, unrecognised and constanty entail neglect. They also face the proverbial 'glass ceiling' above which they hardly ever rise in their careers.

Wider appeals have been made in the last two decades that remarkable  women from around the world who inspire, innovate and transform the sector should be recognized by way of award. The voice of its advocates was profoundly honored with the institution of ‘’The Women in Tech Global Awards.’’

The recently concluded 2nd edition of the Women in Tech Global Awards which held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 6th of November, 2019, rewarded incredible, brilliant, exceptional figures in a range of six categories. It had 300 nominations, 30 finalists and 6 women as recipients of its award.

2019's award categories were:

• Global Leadership Woman in Tech Award

• Most Disruptive Woman in Tech Award

• Women in Tech Allied Award

• Women in Tech Lifetime Achievement Award

• Aspiring Teen Award

• Woman in Tech Start-Up Award.

     

It is hoped that in no distant years from now, consolidation on this award will increase the number of women in technology.

Adedayo Osho is an Abuja, Nigerian based freelance journalist. His previous works have appeared in leading foreign media outfits and had been submitted for 2020 international journalism grants and awards, including this. He can be reached via oshoadedayo04@gmail.com

Radio Nigeria Staff Killed in Yola

Radio Nigeria Staff Killed in Yola:

Maxwell Nashan, a Yola-based broadcaster, has died in the hands of unknown gunmen in the early morning of 15th of January, 2020.

Maxwell, who was with Fombina FM,
an arm of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in the Adamawa State capital, Yola, was found on Wednesday morning in a bush in the outskirts of Vunokilan, a community not far from the Fombina FM office complex in Girei Local
Government Area of the State.

A source disclosed that women who
are mainly farmers found him tied down with his mouth sealed after he sustained
serious beating, with machet cuts in his body.

A colleague of his who spoke in
confidence on Wednesday afternoon, said
Maxwell “was suspected to have been
assaulted by unknown assailants who took
him out from his house, tied him up,
cut him with machetes and dumped
him behind Fombina, his office, and
was found by some women going to
the farm this morning.”

Another colleague of the late Maxwell,
Anthony Shekara, said Maxwell was
most probably dragged from his house
in the middle of the night after he was
beaten and machetted, and then left dead, as there were traces of blood around his house.

Shekara added that "the women
alerted other passers-by who took him
to hospital." According to Shekara, Maxwell died shortly after reaching the German
Hospital, an adjunct of the Adamawa
State Specialist Hospital located in
Jimeta, Yola.

He said a card found on him indicated
that he worked at the Fombina FM,
which eased the identification by
hospital officials.