Introduction

 It is my pleasure to welcome you to Kenya this morning, and thank you for inviting me to kick-off this day on empowering women through technology. The rapid proliferation of affordable mobile phones and increasing access to the Internet is transforming the world.  It’s reshaping how governments and organizations can engage with citizens.

 A new digital economy has emerged—one characterized by new ways of communicating, sharing ideas, conducting business, and making better decisions with data. No country is a better example of this trend than Kenya, which is at the forefront of these innovations.

Kenyans are already seeing the benefits of their government’s commitment to better connectivity. Internet usage has grown significantly in Kenya over the last decade, and more Kenyans are online than ever before. Information and communications technologies have been driving economic growth, and now account for 14 percent of Kenya’s GDP. And Kenyans are global pioneers in mobile money; M-PESA has made money transactions secure and convenient for Kenyans, and is seen as a model around the world.  

The Digital Gender Gap

While these remarkable advances in technology have improved the lives of many Kenyans, the progress has been far from equal. Women continue to lag far behind even the poorest men in access to the Internet and mobile phones. Yet bridging this divide and connecting women to life-enhancing digital services, such as critical health information or market prices, can be truly transformative.

In Bangladesh, women have made livelihoods by biking from village to village with laptops and Internet connections.  They help tens of thousands of other Bangladeshi women gain easy access for the first time to government services, maternal healthcare information, and farming tips on crops and pesticide use. In Tanzania, the United Nations and the International Labor Organization helped women to use computers and mobile phones to promote their grocery businesses, sell handicrafts abroad, and attract more clients.

USAID’s Role

Yet, even if a woman owns a computer or mobile phone, she won’t use it to its full potential if she lacks the necessary skills and confidence. USAID is proud that through our partnership in the Women and the Web Alliance, we are improving the digital literacy skills and confidence of women to use technology in improving their lives.

We are partners in the Women and the Web Alliance because we believe digital literacy skills are a critical step in bridging the digital gender divide.  We also know this issue needs a collaborative approach from public, private and nonprofit actors.

USAID’s Vision

At USAID, we envision a world in which the digital gender divide no longer exists.

We envision a world in which even the poorest woman in her community can use the Internet for long-distance learning, women in remote areas can access quality health services through video calls with doctors in capital cities, and African female entrepreneurs can market and sell their products to clients throughout the world.

Call to Action

As you meet today to discuss the future goals of the Women and the Web Alliance and She Will Connect, I encourage you to focus on how this partnership can help women realize the long-term benefits of these trainings. How can a woman in Nigeria access better education because of her training with Women in Technology in Nigeria? How can a Kenyan woman use her newfound Internet skills to find a job for the first time?  

As you follow the lives of the women who participate in these trainings, think about how our work can help them to secure jobs, increase their incomes, build their businesses, and advance their studies after they leave the Women and the Web and She Will Connect training centers or classrooms.

I challenge you to be ambitious and picture how these trainings can not only help these women, but contribute to the development of Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. As the digital economy grows at an unprecedented rate, it is crucial that women are not left behind.

Thank you.