Name the first woman in tech who comes to mind! Don’t worry, take your time.
Let me guess, it took a minute.
Possible reason?
We rarely hear of success stories of women and/or women-led technology companies shaping the tech space. Also, the many contributions of women in technology are often left out of history books. To be fair, this is changing, albeit a little.
There are very many unsung women in technology. The list is long. Quite long actually.
The success stories and revolutionary contributions of many of the women who shaped the 19th, 20th, and into the 21st centuries are rarely told. Their praises unsung. This is quite unfair seeing that a good number of these women are among the main technological architects of modern life.
If we were to look at success stories, specific achievements, and legacies, we may need to take some time off. And several cups of coffee. Good coffee. The bottom line is that women have shaped the tech space in more ways than one.
Like did you know that it was a woman who inspired Steve Jobs to create the first Apple computer, or that we owe Annie Easley a thank you for her contributions in the development of first hybrid cars, or that ‘Google-ing’ would probably not be a thing were it not for Karen Spärck Jones?
And that’s not all:
The first programmers were not men. The first ever computers were not machines. In both cases, they were women.
To be fair, contributions are not all about inventions, there is a special group that fights for inclusivity. We cannot talk about women contribution without mentioning those who have been playing an important role in fighting for inclusivity. Numerous women have established companies that not only make significant contributions in the tech space but also seek to encourage and empower other women and girls.
In Kenya, they include Judith Owigar of AkiraChix and her co-founders, Martha Chumo of the Nairobi Dev School, Margaret Ondeng a software developer working closely with Google Developer Group and Women Tech Makers Nairobi to offer mentorship, Dorcas Muthoni, founder of AfChix, and many more.
Internationally, women like Angelica Ross of TransTech Social Enterprises, Liat Ben-Zur, Senior Vice President, Connected Digital Platforms and Propositions at Royal Philips, Christine Gadsby, Director of Global Product Security at BlackBerry, and many more.
These mentors are playing a very important role. However, we are not there yet. We still have a long way to go with regard to shifting the focus of young girls, especially those in primary and secondary schools. This group is at a stage where they make choices that will likely influence their careers thus more needs to be done to reach out. Mentorship and outreach programs targeting this group can make a difference.
The inventors and mentors are unsung heroines that have earned a seat at the big peoples’ table. The seat is well-deserved. They deserve to be mentioned and their journeys told alongside those of great men who shaped the tech space.
Mum Loves Tech has been shining a spotlight on great women in tech and their contributions to the ever-growing field. What contributions have you been making?
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