While the global advancement of women over the last few years cannot go unnoticed, much work remains to reach gender equality. Innovative approaches are needed to ensure that women – from entrepreneurs to informal workers to C-suite executives – are empowered to actively engage in their economies. Technology is a unique avenue to advance the economic empowerment of women and girls. However, technology can also inhibit women’s empowerment by enabling harassment and other unintended consequences.

The SEEP Women’s Economic Empowerment Working Group will host a Twitter Chat on March 12, 2019 to explore these issues and celebrate International Women’s Day.

We invite you to join our member organizations for a dynamic and engaging conversation and exchange of resources and tools highlighting technology and innovation in WEE.

Contribute to the discussion with hashtag #WEECHAT2019 and follow us @TheSEEPNetwork!

Digital Financial Services for Women | MaTontine | 9:00 - 10:00 am

Despite advances in mobile banking, over 70% of women in Africa have no access to formal financial services. To optimize the use of digital banking services for women, there is a need for innovative solutions, as well as changes at the regulatory and policy level. MaTontine provides access to financial services like small loans to poor women as financial institutions cannot do this at scale with their current cost structure. Join us to discuss what works and what doesn’t in extending digital financial services to women in Francophone Africa and beyond.

Women's Employment in STEM and Technology | Nathan Associates | 10:00 - 11:00 am

Women’s exclusion from STEM fields directly affects quality of innovation and women’s employability in an increasingly tech-focused world. Barriers to women’s entry, retention, and advancement in STEM range widely, from biases and stereotypes that influence women’s career choices to laws and regulations that limit access to opportunities. Investing in women entrepreneurs in STEM and ensuring women’s access to the digital economy are essential for empowering women, and mean big gains for businesses and the economy. We’ll discuss how to tackle these barriers and increase women’s participation and advancement in STEM.

Technology-facilitated Gender-based Violence | International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) |
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cyberbullying, doxing, stalking. We’ve heard these terms, but they fail to capture the range of gender-based violence that occurs both online and offline or the links between them. ICRW is conducting in-depth research on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (GBV), linking previously disconnected behaviors to help us understand the depth of this public health and human rights issue. Join ICRW as we discuss how tech-facilitated GBV transcends digital boundaries to impact people's lives.

Tackling the Digital Gender Divide: Designing Inclusive Technology Solutions | FHI360 mSTAR Project | 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Advances in technology and connectivity open opportunities for women and girls to engage in new ways and access an array of products and services; however, this is far from universal. All too often projects and donors leap at the chance to use new digital tools with limited consideration of the digital gender divide or how it may result in unintended consequences. We will discuss challenges in using technology in development programs in an inclusive way, generate discussion on best practices for inclusive design from the outset and inquire about potential solutions in the face of large gender gaps.

The Role of Technology in Women's Entrepreneurship | Project Concern International (PCI) | 1:00 - 2:00 pm

Many women entrepreneurs engage in informal, survival-oriented income generation activities and have limited opportunities to increase their income. Depending on how it’s designed and employed technology can empower or disempower women entrepreneurs. This theme invites us to consider how technologies, like mobile phones and digital platforms, can help women overcome gender barriers and connect to markets, services (trainings, financial services), and networks so that they can succeed in business.

Partnering with the Private Sector to Advance Women's Economic Empowerment | Pact | 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Achieving a more inclusive world means empowering women to make and act upon economic decisions—increasing opportunities, securing households and reducing poverty. The social and private sectors are partnering across industries and sectors to jointly tackle key issues, share common pitfalls and best practices, and identify ways to advance women’s economic empowerment through technology and innovation. Join our Twitter chat to discuss opportunities, challenges, and successful partnerships that are leading the way.

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