Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the newly elected Secretary General, International Telecommunications Union (ITU); the first woman to lead the UN specialized agency in its 157-year history, has re-emphasized that achieving gender equality and empowering women is not only the right thing to do but is a critical factor in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
Bogdan-Martin was the Special Guest of Honour during the International Day of Rural Women 2022 celebration held by Women in Tech in Nigeria (WITIN), a leading community that nurtures women and girls in technology within Nigeria, Africa and beyond, held on Friday in Lagos.
The ITU Scribe agrees with a report which suggests that giving women increased opportunities and access to digital skills and connectivity could rise agricultural production by 2.5 to 4 per cent in the poorest regions and the number of malnourished people could be reduced by 12 to 17 percent.
Bogdan-Martin speaks: “It’s a pleasure to join with the WITIN team today and to celebrate this year’s International Day of Rural Women. This year’s Day has as its theme ‘Rural Women Cultivating Good Food‘.
“Let me start by congratulating Martha Alade and her amazing colleagues who were named WSIS Prize Champions for 2022. And for all the work that they do to empower women and to bridge the digital gender divide through their WomenPride.Africa initiative. We’re also thrilled to have them as a member of our connected community and I personally look forward to working alongside you to help you implement your pledge”.
She said that to bring safe and meaningful access to connectivity to out-of-school and to the hardest to reach women and girls in Africa, the theme of this year’s International Day of Rural Women is such an important one because rural women play an absolutely critical role in the world’s food systems.
“Women comprise nearly half of the world’s smallholder farmers, and it’s estimated that they produce 70% of Africa’s food. Increasingly, digital technologies are helping them in this vital task. From monitoring crops and water consumption to predicting weather conditions to helping combat agricultural pests, access to connectivity can go a long way to improving food quality and helping feed hungry families.
“ITU research shows that digital applications, especially in resource constrained environments, can actually deliver savings and huge productivity gains. In Nigeria, initiatives are already underway to use the Internet of Things (IoT) to power cooking stoves for families.
And during ITU AI for Good Summit, we saw how Pennsylvania State University had teamed up with our sector UN agency, the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) to develop a highly usable, voice driven app that’s called Neuro. Neuro helps to combat the destructive fall armyworm moth, which was first detected in Nigeria in 2016. Digital technologies like these have the potential to transform the world.
“But right now, the digital divide is preventing too few women from harnessing that power. In Africa, only 34% of women on average are actually using the internet compared to 45% of those in least developed countries where fewer than 1/3 of women have any kind of internet access. Rural women face even more barriers because ITU figures show that only 15% of Africa’s rural dwellers are actually compared with 50% of the urban population”, Bogdan-Martin said.
She added that changing that picture fast is the aim of ITU’s drive that has mobilised over 28 connectivity commitments.
“… a few months back, I met with Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Honourable Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), who chaired this year’s WSIS forum. I know how much Nigeria shares our commitment to digital gender equality.
“I’m pleased to know that we’re currently working with partners like Nigeria… on activities to address digital connectivity, including the challenges faced by women in unserved and poorly connected communities.
“My team also recently brought a network of experts, connectivity advocates and social entrepreneurs together in Abuja for a workshop on last mile connectivity and complementary connectivity solutions that were aimed at formulating strategies to connect more Nigerians living in rural areas.
And when I take up my new role, as the ITU Secretary General; the first woman to be elected in ITU’s 157 year history, I really look forward to further building on that close collaboration with the Nigerian government, with the private sector players, and the highly effective grassroot groups, like WITIN.
“Let’s work together so that we can ensure that every rural woman has affordable access, and the ability to use connectivity in the way that she needs in order to improve her life. And with it, the future prosperity of her family, her community and her nation”, the ITU Scribe told women gathered at the occasion.
In his goodwill message, Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said that as the organization regulating telecommunications industry in Nigeria, the NCC’s vision and efforts is to drive broadband penetration to every nook and cranny of the country with rural women at the front burner; so that no one is left behind in the area of digital inclusivity.
The EVC who spoke through Oladoyin Aiyenitaju, a Principal Manager at NCC, said, “It is our conviction that if digital inclusiveness is diligently pursued by all stakeholders concerned, we would have been able to address a number of Goals in the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals 2030, especially with respect to poverty elimination, zero hunger, gender equity, reduced inequality, among others.
Sade Dada, Africa Public Policy Manager, Access and Connectivity, Meta Platform Inc., told the women (participants) drawn from Ifeoluwa Piggery Farm, Ojoo-Badagry – Lagos, that their participation in the programme underscores the importance of digital access for all.
According to her, Meta has invested significant resources in bringing her platforms; Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to nationals including empowering women.
“Three billion people around the world use our products to share ideas, build businesses, educate and so much. The International Day of Rural Women highlights the essential role women and girls play in the systems of the world.
I commend the Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN) for the great work you are doing with your WomenPride.Africa project which proposes digital solutions to support women including farmers. We strongly believe in the role of technology and digital solutions and access to the internet play in the social and economic development of individuals and communities”, she said.
On her part, Professor Francisca Oladipo, the Vice Chancellor, Thomas Adewumi University, described women as changemakers in society.
“Digital technology has helped to ensure access and inclusion across many sectors including agriculture; and several examples abound to demonstrate that more girls and women can be able to participate, especially through various programmes.
“Women by nature are wired to care for the community and any investment in them is more likely to produce positive impacts in the society.
“According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are less than 20% of women landowners worldwide. However, these women can make more impact from their holdings if they are empowered by digital technology”, Prof. Oladipo said.
She said that WITIN’s activities will surely assist the women to achieve more through digital skills empowerments.
Mary Uduma, the Alternative Chairperson, Urunwanne Women Development and Empowerment Association, also encouraged the women to embrace digital skills and tools to enhance their agricultural outputs.
Earlier in her address, Martha Alade, the Founder, Women in Tech in Nigeria (WITIN), said that empowering the women farmers was part of the Organization’s programes for job shadowing, leadership, entrepreneurship and mentorship.
She added that WITIN-RURAL initiative aims to foster job creation and revenues in local communities for women and girls through WITIN programs, adding that the theme: ‘Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All: The Imperative of Digital Inclusion,’ was carefully selected to reflect that anyone can participate in the digital economy irrespective of gender or social status.
In response, Chinenye Nwokoye, the Women Leader of Ifeoluwa Piggery Farm, thanked WITIN and the ecosystem supporters for the interest to look into their plights.
According to her, the women are encouraged by the outcome of the day’s occasion. She however listed some of the challenges faced by the smallholder farmers. Nwokoye said they lacked funds to expand their farming business, especially the procurement of animal feeds.
She also hinted on waste management, stressing that the disposal of their waste is a very big challenge to them. “We need the machine that turns this waste into fertilizer”, amongst other challenges.
The session also featured presentations from leading voices in the technology, innovation and agric-tech ecosystems while Basirat Ishola, ESS Manager, Huawei Nigeria, delivered the vote of thanks.
