31 03 2023
Press release
As part of the second African LeadHERs' Forum, Speak Up Africa organized a series of webinars called "Webinars of equality". Held on the sidelines of International Women's Day on the theme "Digital spaces to achieve gender equality", these webinars aimed to amplify the voices of women from various sectors - from community-based organizations to pan-African sports organizations inside and outside the continent - to highlight the urgency of reducing gender inequalities around the world.
114 participants from Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, France, and Senegal took part in these virtual conversations held on March 14 and 28. The webinars brought together a dozen speakers from various sectors, including health, civil society, and sport. The first one convened the Voix EssentiELLES and was held on the theme "Voix EssentiELLES, all committed to a more inclusive world" while the second focused on "Leadership, Mentorship and Diasporas: the power of sport to achieve gender equality".
During the first virtual meeting, the Voix EssentiELLES speakers highlighted the need to address inequalities that prevent women from accessing digital services.
Gender inequalities in digital access remain persistent throughout the world. In Africa, for example, it is estimated that nearly 80% of women do not have access to digital technology. In the case of mobile internet use, the gap between men and women on the continent is 37% in 2022.
The Voix EssentiELLES recalled that these limited access to digital space accentuate gender inequalities since it prevents women from accessing specific digital services related to health, education, or finance. Women's exclusion from the digital world undermines efforts to achieve gender equity and threatens the progress made in women's rights.
"Covid-19 has shown that digital space is important in the fight for gender equality. Today, thanks to the power of social networks, women's rights activists can have an impact on millions of women’s living conditions even in rural areas."
Gbazalé Irad, President of Femmes en action and recipient of the Voix EssentiELLES Fund in Côte d'Ivoire
"The digital space is one of the main factors for women's empowerment. It is a crucial tool to propel the voices of all women to the public sphere on issues that concern them."
Aissatou Lopy Mbaye Ndiaye, Vice President of the National Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund in Senegal.
In addition to these difficulties of access to digital technology, women are the first victims of online violence. In 2021, for example, a study revealed that 85% of women in the world are exposed to violence on the Internet, including harassment.
"It is important to raise awareness about the existence of online violence in Senegal, as there is a real lack of knowledge about this scourge in our communities."
Oussama Sagna Monique, Project Manager at JGEN and recipient of the Voix EssentiELLES Fund in Senegal
The second webinar convened several sports personalities such as Diandra Tchatchouang Djadjo, former international basketball player, Axel Toupane, International basketball player, Syra Sylla, President of the association Ladies and Basketball and Marie-Laurence Archambault, CSR Manager at the African Basketball League. They highlighted the need to fight gender stereotypes that persist in the sports world as well as the importance of using digital space to strengthen women's representation in sport.
"Representation in sport is extremely important, as young girls do not imagine themselves in sports careers that they do not see or that are not promoted. In this sense, digital allows us to facilitate the connection between female sports role models and young girls but also to create our own media and platforms to change the narrative about women in sport."
Syra Sylla, President of the Ladies and Basketball Association and Head of Communications at Sport Impact