International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated around the world on March 8 to mark the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It originated from the early 20th Century Labour Movement, with the first IWD event held in 1911. Since then, the day has become a global day of recognition and celebration for the valuable contributions that women make to society.
The accomplishments that IWD has achieved over the years are numerous. For example, in 1975, the United Nations began to observe IWD as an official day of global awareness. This has opened up many new opportunities for women to gain recognition and access to resources in their respective countries. Moreover, this day has become a platform to showcase the successes achieved by women in various industries, and has allowed women to come together and gain strength from one another.
In the future, IWD will continue to be a platform for recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of women around the world. It has acted as a catalyst for change, empowering women to pursue their dreams and fight for their rights. Additionally, IWD has opened up more opportunities for education and jobs for women, and will continue to do so in years to come. Similarly, IWD will continue to be a platform for raising awareness about the issues that women face, and will provide a platform for coming together to find solutions to these issues.

This year, IWD mainstreams “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, highlighting the importance of equality of all opportunities between men and women so that development efforts can gain more momentum.
African women have made significant strides in technology, digital participation, and other related fields. Despite low representation, they are making huge impact in the tech industry and have become an inspiration to the younger generations.
From coding, web development, and software engineering, to leading projects and managing teams, they have consistently demonstrated that they can compete in the male-dominated tech industry. For instance, in Nigeria, there is a high percentage of women in the tech industry, and many of them have earned top positions in companies like Andela, a coding bootcamp.

In addition, African women have been successful in using digital platforms to promote their businesses and practices. Businesswoman and entrepreneur, Nneka Mobisson, is a great example of this; she has used digital tools to grow and promote her fashion business, allowing her to reach a global audience and increase profitability.
It is clear that African women are more than capable of making their mark in the tech industry, and their stories of success continue to inspire more women to pursue their dreams and make a difference in the world.

Nonetheless, African women in the tech industry face many obstacles, and it is important to recognize and address these issues so that more women can pursue their dreams and make a difference as contributors. Some of the said obstacles include lack of access to necessary resources and training, lack of support and mentorship, and gender-based discrimination some face in the workplace.

To increase the pace of the tech industry’s contributions to economic growth in Africa:
1. African women should be able to access the necessary resources, training, and support to become successful in the industry. This will go a long way to positively impact on the continent’s economy and trade relations.
2. More women must pick up courageous roles in the tech industry. The Global Gender Gap Report 2022 Digest, shows that the percentage of women who graduate in the Information and Communications Technology is 1.7%, compared to 8.2% of men graduates.

3. Organizations should focus on creating a more inclusive tech and digital environment by providing resources and access to existing networks, while also advocating for the visibility of female voices and promoting gender-diverse leadership.